Evaluation of Stress Tolerance and Design of Alternative Culture Media for the Production of Fermentation Starter Cultures in Cacao

Overview

Journal Heliyon

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2024 May 3

PMID 38699711

Authors

Maria Pilar Constante Catuto

Joel Tigrero-Vaca

Mirian Villavicencio-Vasquez

Diana Coello Montoya

Juan Manuel Cevallos

Jonathan Coronel-Leon

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Ecuador is one of the world's leading producers of cacao beans, and Nacional x Trinitario cacao represents one of the most distinctive varieties due to its flavor and aroma characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the starter culture isolated from microbial diversity during the spontaneous fermentation of Nacional x Trinitario cacao. A total of 249 microbial isolates were obtained from spontaneous culture, with (45 %), (17 %), and (2 %) being the most relevant genera for fermentation. Tolerance tests were conducted to select microorganisms for the starter culture. exhibited the highest tolerance at pH 5 and 6 % ethanol and tolerated concentrations up to 15 % for glucose and fructose. grew at pH 2 and 6 % ethanol, tolerating high sugar concentrations of up to 15 % for glucose and 30 % for fructose, with growth observed in concentrations up to 5 % for lactic and acetic acid. Subsequently, a laboratory-scale fermentation was conducted with the formulated starter culture (SC) comprising , , and , which exhibited high tolerance to various stress conditions. The fermentation increased alcoholic compounds, including citrusy, fruity aromas, and floral notes such as 2-heptanol and phenylethyl alcohol, respectively 1.6-fold and 5.6-fold compared to the control. Moreover, the abundance of ketones 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone increased significantly, providing sweet green herbs and fruity woody aromas. Cacao fermented with this SC significantly enhanced the favorable aroma-producing metabolites characteristic of Fine-aroma cacao. These findings underscore the potential of tailored fermentation strategies to improve cacao product quality and sensory attributes, emphasizing the importance of ongoing research in optimizing fermentation processes for the cacao industry.

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