The objective of this work was to study the influence of two postharvest processing methods on the biochemical composition and sensory analysis of a Colombian specialty coffee. For this purpose, coffee beans (Coffea arabica) of the Castillo variety were collected and processed using the wet and semi-dry methods, and the drying process was conducted in a sun drier prototype with a plastic parabolic cover, with a maximum drying air temperature of 50 °C; green coffee beans were managed according to the official Specialty Coffee Association cupping protocol and roasted to a medium and dark degree. Physicochemical determinations (pH, color, titratable acidity, caffeine content, and chlorogenic acid quantification) in green coffee and roasted coffee beans were performed; the sensory analysis was performed by a panel of trained tasters. The wet and semi-dry processing methods resulted in differences in color parameters, pH values, and caffeine content. However, the titratable acidity, chlorogenic acid, and sensory evaluation did not have any difference; therefore, the type of coffee processing method used is not relevant to the final chemical properties of the roasted coffee (i.e., the Castillo variety) evaluated in this study; the coffee cup score is also not affected, and the post-fermentation washing process can be dispensed with.

Cocoa liquor, butter, and powder represent derived products from a small portion of the fruits, compared with the cocoa pod husk (CPH) which accounts for ∼ 70 % of fresh weight. CPH, improperly disposed in plantations, can cause diseases threatening worldwide chocolate production. However, this biomass can be a potential source of bioactive compounds aligned with the circular economy. An overview on the different methods for extracting pectin, resulting in variable extraction yields with a critical discussion on the obtained physicochemical characteristics, is presented. Additionally, the potential applications of the extracted pectin for food and biomedical application are discussed, including thickener, stabilizer, excipient, drug‐release modifier, macrophage activator, etc. Despite these potential outputs, new extraction methods need to be considered for improving efficiency and sustainability. Finally, potential approaches are introduced that can help to minimize the environmental impact, making the extraction cost‐ and time‐efficient, and, therefore, more ssustainable for a further successful translation to industry.

Biomass resulting from food production represents valuable material to recover different biomolecules. In our study, we used apple pomace to obtain pectin, which is traditionally extracted using mineral acids. Our hypothesis consisted of carrying out extractions with organic acids, assisted by ultrasound, by varying processing parameters including time, temperature, and type of acid. The analytical determinations of galacturonic acid content, methoxylation and esterification degree, ζ-potential and extraction yield were used as pectin quality indicators. Pectins extracted using treatment conditions with better performance were assessed biologically in vitro for their potential to be used in biomedical applications. Overall, the extracted pectin presented a galacturonic acid content, methoxylation and esterification degree ranged from 19.7 to 67%, 26.8–41.4% and 58–65.2% respectively, and were negatively charged (−24.1 to −13.2 mV). It was found that factors of time and temperature greatly influenced the response variables excepting the esterification degree, while the acid type influenced the ζ-potential, methoxylation and esterification degrees. Additionally, it was seen that the longer extraction time (50 min) and higher temperature (50 °C) exhibited the better extraction yield (∼10.9%). Finally, the selected pectin showed high cytocompatibility up to 500 μg/mL of concentration when seeded with Neonatal Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the infrared spectrum in the range of 4000−650 cm−1 for characterizing and differentiating dried and ground coffee cherry pulp of different varieties. The spectral data were subjected to first and second derivative treatments to perform the statistical analyses. Three varieties of coffee pulp were previously characterized for color, water activity, moisture, chlorogenic acids, and caffeine. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a viable technique for characterizing and differentiating dried and ground coffee cherry pulp among different varieties, showing the best differentiation with treatment of data from the first derivative, which was mainly associated with the caffeine content and chlorogenic acids. This study is the first investigation of FTIR spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance for characterizing dried and ground coffee cherry pulp from coffee varieties grown in Colombia.