Optimizing vacuum drying process of polyphenols, flavanols and DPPH radical scavenging assay in pod husk and bean shell cocoa.

The objective of this study was to optimize different vacuum drying conditions for cocoa pod husk and cocoa bean shell in order to enhance these by-products for commercial applications. To carry out the optimization, the response surface methodology was applied using a Box-Behnken experimental design with 15 experiments for which different conditions of temperature (X1), drying time (X2) and vacuum pressure (X3) were established. The response variables were the content of total polyphenols, the content of flavanols and the radical scavenging activity evaluated in the extracts of the different experiments. Temperature (50-70 °C), drying time (3-12 h) and vacuum pressure (50-150 mbar) were considered as independent variables. The main factors affecting the response variables were temperature, followed by vacuum pressure. For the content of polyphenols, the optimal response values predicted for the cocoa pod husk was 11.17 mg GAE/g with a confidence limit (95%) of 9.05 to 13.28 mg GAE/g (optimal conditions: 65 °C, 8 h and 75 mbar), while for the cocoa bean shell cocoa was 29.61 mg GAE/g with a confidence limit (95%) of 26.95 to 32.26 mg GAE/g (optimal conditions: 50 °C, 5 h and 100 mbar). Therefore, results of this study suggest a high content of phenolic compounds obtained from these by-products that show relevance as functional ingredients for application in the food, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical industries.

Assessment of phenolic and volatile compounds of commercial Sacha inchi oils and sensory evaluation.

Sacha inchi is a super seed primarily grown in the Amazon rainforest of Peru. One of the main products obtained from seeds is oil. This product is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and sterols. The objective of this work was to authenticity evaluate of the Sacha inchi oil by means of characterization of phenols, volatile compounds, and sensory profile. The phenolic and volatile compounds were analyzed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-time of flight/mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS) and headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS), respectively. A total of 16 phenolic compounds were detected in commercial Sacha inchi oils, while 54 compounds have been found in the volatile fraction. These compounds mainly correspond to notes generated by alcohols, aldehydes, acids, ketones, and terpenoids. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first two PCs account for 71.13% of total variance. Statistical analysis was used to observe the relationships between phenolic and volatile compounds; therefore, consequently, it has been found that 16 volatile compounds may have a significant influence upon overall perceived flavor and odor of the commercial Sacha inchi oils. According to the odor and flavor, the Sacha inchi oil is characterized by "green" odor notes, seed, dried fruit and rough.