Diversity and determinants of bitterness, astringency, and fat content in cultivated Nacional and native Amazonian cocoa accessions from Ecuador.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is the only tree that can produce cocoa. Cocoa beans are highly sought after by chocolate makers to produce chocolate.

Multi-block classification of chocolate and cocoa samples into sensory poles.

The present study aims at developing an analytical methodology which allows correlating sensory poles of chocolate to their chemical characteristics and, eventually, to those of the cocoa beans used for its preparation. Trained panelists investigated several samples of chocolate, and they divided them into four sensorial poles (characterized by 36 different descriptors) attributable to chocolate flavor. The same samples were analyzed by six different techniques: Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS), Solid Phase Micro Extraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (SPME-GC-MS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) (for the quantification of eight organic acids), Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS) for polyphenol quantification, 3D front face fluorescence Spectroscopy and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS).

Physicochemical, functional, and macromolecular properties of waxy yam starches discovered from "Mapuey" (Dioscorea trifida) genotypes in the Venezuelan Amazon.

"Mapuey" tubers in Venezuela are staple food for indigenous peoples from the Caribbean coast and Amazon regions. Noticeable differences between genotypes of yam starches were observed. Granules were large, triangular, or shell-shaped with monomodal particle size distribution between 24.