Consumer acceptability and fragrance quality differentiate on of Mogiana coffee types using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method.

Coffee, one of the most produced and consumed beverage in the world, has a range of variability in its quality. The aim of this work was to evaluate the consumer capacity to perceive the coffee quality through their fragrance and to verify the influence of previous information about quality on this perception using hedonic scale and Check All That Apply (CATA) sensory tests. The sensory tests were performed in two stages, one without and the other with quality related information of Mogiana coffee samples (Rio, Hard and Soft), and a traditional coffee sample. CATA attributes frequency of occurrence shows that samples discrimination could be done with specific attributes. For Soft coffee the attributes with more occurrence were sweet, caramel, brown sugar, and smooth. The Hard coffee sample was described by the attributes peanut, buttery, and chocolate. While for Rio coffee, the descriptive attributes most often mentioned were strong and burnt. The traditional sample stood out among consumers for its characteristics of old, medicine, sour, burnt, unpleasant and spicy. Therefore, the use of coffee powder fragrance can be alternative to differentiate the quality of the product and its function can be enhanced by passing on information on quality attributes to consumers.

Effect of decaffeination of green and roasted coffees on the in vivo antioxidant activity and prevention of liver injury in rats

Decaffeination and roasting affects the composition of the chlorogenic acids in coffee, which have antioxidant potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of coffee decaffeination on the in vivo antioxidant activity and the prevention of liver damage. The Wistar rats received intraperitoneal doses of carbon tetrachloride and daily doses of Arabica coffee brews (whole and decaffeinated, both green and roasted) by gavage for fifteen days. The activity of liver marker enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and serum albumin were measured as well as the quantification of the thiobarbituric acid reactive species and the content of liver total lipids. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase are good indicators of liver damage: the results showed that all studied coffee brews decreased the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and liver levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive species and total lipids. The compounds presents in coffee brews are able to decrease the hepatic lipid peroxidation induced by carbon tetrachloride, making a significant hepatoprotective effect, in accordance with the liver function tests. The coffee brews are hepatoprotective regardless of the decaffeination process and our results suggest a better protection against liver damage for the roasted coffee brews compared with green coffee brews.

Biogenic amine profile in unripe Arabica coffee beans processed according to dry and wet methods.

Immature coffee fruit processing contributes to a high amount of defective beans, which determines a significant amount of low-quality coffee sold in the Brazilian internal market. Unripe bean processing was tested, taking the levels of bioactive amines as criteria for evaluating the extent of fermentation and establishing the differences between processing methods. The beans were processed by the dry method after being mechanically depulped immediately after harvest or after a 12 h resting period in a dry pile or immersed in water. Seven bioactive amines were quantified: putrescine, spermine, spermidine, serotonin, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine, with global amounts ranging from 71.8 to 80.3 mg/kg. The levels of spermine and spermidine were lower in the unripe depulped coffee than in the natural coffee. The specific conditions of dry and wet processing also influenced cadaverine levels, and histamine was reduced in unripe depulped coffee. A resting period of 12 h does not induce significant alteration on the beans and can be improved if performed in water. These results confirm that peeling immature coffee can decrease fermentation processes while providing more uniform drying, thus reducing the number of defects and potentially increasing beverage quality.