Distinction of Ecuadorian varieties of fermented cocoa beans using Raman spectroscopy.
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a crop of economic importance. In Ecuador, there are two predominant cocoa varieties: National and CCN-51. The National variety is the most demanded, since its cocoa beans are used to produce the finest chocolates. Raman measurements of fermented, dried and unpeeled cocoa beans were performed using a handheld spectrometer. Samples of the National and CCN-51 varieties were collected from different provinces and studied in this work. For each sample, 25 cocoa beans were considered and each bean was measured at 4 different spots. The most important Raman features of the spectra were assigned and discussed. The spectroscopic data were processed using chemometrics, resulting in a distinction of varieties with 91.8% of total accuracy. Differences in the average Raman spectra of cocoa beans from different sites but within the same variety can be attributed to environmental factors affecting the cocoa beans during the fermentation and drying processes.
Ecuadorian Agency for Quality Assurance in Agriculture, AGROCALIDAD, Av. Interoceánica km 14 ½, 170184 Tumbaco, Ecuador; Departamento de Ciencias Nucleares, Facultad de Ingeniería Química y Agroindustria, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ladrón de Guevara E11-253, 170525 Quito, Ecuador.
Paul
P
Vargas Jentzsch
Rigaku Analytical Devices, Pasedagplatz 3-4, 13088 Berlin, Germany.
Valerian
V
Ciobotă
Ecuadorian Agency for Quality Assurance in Agriculture, AGROCALIDAD, Av. Interoceánica km 14 ½, 170184 Tumbaco, Ecuador.
Wilson
W
Salinas
Institut für Physikalische Chemie, and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Bernd
B
Kampe
Ecuadorian Agency for Quality Assurance in Agriculture, AGROCALIDAD, Av. Interoceánica km 14 ½, 170184 Tumbaco, Ecuador; Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Campus Cumbayá, Diego de Robles y Vía Interoceánica, 170157 Quito, Ecuador.
Pedro M
PM
Aponte
Institut für Physikalische Chemie, and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Petra
P
Rösch
Institut für Physikalische Chemie, and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany; Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien e.V. (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena, Germany.
Jürgen
J
Popp
Ecuadorian Agency for Quality Assurance in Agriculture, AGROCALIDAD, Av. Interoceánica km 14 ½, 170184 Tumbaco, Ecuador. Electronic address: luis.ramos@agrocalidad.gob.ec.
Luis A
LA
Ramos
D019149:Bioreactors; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003890:Desiccation; D004484:Ecuador; D005285:Fermentation / Q000502:physiology*; D005843:Geography; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
CCN-51; Chemometrics; National variety; Raman spectroscopy; Theobroma cacao