Los bosques de la Amazonia peruana han experimentado importantes transformaciones desde mediados del siglo pasado. Este trabajo evaluó los Cambios de Cobertura y Uso del Suelo (CCUS) en la provincia de Rodríguez de Mendoza, mediante los métodos de clasificación supervisada de máxima probabilidad e interpretación visual interdependiente de imágenes del satélite Landsat, entre los períodos 1987–2001 y 2001–2016. Se construyeron matrices de tabulación cruzada y se calcularon tasas e índices anuales de cambio. Los resultados muestran una pérdida acumulada de 918,59 km2 de cobertura boscosa. La intensidad de CCUS y la tasa de deforestación fueron mayores en el segundo período de análisis. Se evidenció que las altas concentraciones de pérdida de cobertura boscosa están próximas a la red vial e hídrica. Las principales causas de la pérdida de bosques fueron la actividad ganadera y la expansión agrícola migratoria a pequeña explotación, favorecidas por la accesibilidad de infraestructuras de transporte.

The phenotypic characterization of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plays an important role in the generation of information for the conservation of cacao germplasm. The objective of this study is to characterize phenotypically 146 ecotypes of fine-aroma native cacao (FFNC) from northeastern Peru that were collected from 280 to 1265 metres above sea level. Morphological descriptors of fruits and seeds, sensory characteristics, and productivity descriptors were used. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics with pie charts, distribution histograms, and multiple correspondence analysis. The results showed that 76.7 of the cocoa ecotypes had green immature fruits, 73 showed slight roughness on the surface of the fruit, 54 showed an intermediate thickness of the fruit wall, and 90 had the appearance of pairs of equidistant ridges. Regarding seed characteristics, 71 showed purplish cotyledons, with a high presence of floral and fruity notes and low levels of bitterness and astringency. Likewise, 52 of the fruits and 64 of the seeds were long. More importantly, cocoa beans needed to produce between 14 and 16 pods to obtain one kilogram of dry cocoa, which reflects a good level of productivity. Finally, there was a positive relationship between elevation levels and the presence of fine-flavoured native cocoa, i.e., the greatest diversity of native cocoa with floral and fruity notes was found above 501 metres above sea level.

In current systems, the fermentation spontaneous process produces fermented beans of heterogeneous quality due to the fermentation time. This study demonstrated that the fermentation time should be reduced. For this purpose, the physicochemical parameters, antioxidant profile, and volatile compounds were characterized in two types of fermentation (spontaneous and starter culture) for 168 h in cocoa from three altitude levels. Multivariate analysis (cluster and PCA) was used to discriminate the fermentation stages. We found three stages in all fermentations, where the first two stages (0 h to 96 h) were characterized by a higher antioxidant potential of the cocoa bean and the presence of desirable volatile compounds such as acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters, which are precursors of cocoa aroma; however, prolonged fermentation times affected the antioxidant profile of the bean. In addition, the use of a starter culture facilitates the release of compounds in a shorter time (especially alcohols and esters). It is concluded that it is necessary to reduce the fermentation time under these conditions in the region of Amazonas.

In response to the growing demand for healthier food options, this review explores advances in oleogel systems as an innovative solution to reduce saturated fats in chocolates. Although appreciated for its flavor and texture, chocolate is high in calories, mainly due to cocoa butter (CB), which is rich in saturated fats. Oleogels, three-dimensional structures formed by structuring agents in edible oils, stand out in terms of mimicking saturated fats’ physical and sensory properties without compromising the quality of chocolate. This study reviews how oleogels could improve chocolate’s stability and sensory quality, exploring the potential of pectin-rich agro-industrial by-products as sustainable alternatives. It also explores the need for physicochemical evaluations of both oleogel and oleogel-based chocolate.

In this work, the use of expert systems and hyperspectral imaging in the determination of coffee rust infection was evaluated. Three classifiers were trained using spectral profiles from different stages of infection, and the classifier based on a support vector machine provided the best performance. When this classifier was compared to visual analysis, statistically significant differences were observed, and the highest sensitivity of the selected classifier was found at early stages of infection.

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el efecto de la alimentación con harina de pulpa de café (Coffea arabica) en los índices productivos de cuyes (Cavia porcellus L), raza Perú, durante la etapa de recría y engorde. Se trabajó con 35 cuyes hembras desde los 28 hasta los 91 días de edad, alimentados con dietas a base de alfalfa y concentrado (1:1). Los cuyes fueron distribuidos al azar en cinco tratamientos con inclusiones en el concentrado de 0, 5, 15, 25 y 35% de harina de pulpa de café. La adición de la harina de pulpa de café al concentrado no influyó en la ganancia de peso, conversión alimenticia y calidad sensorial (apariencia, olor, color de la carcasa y sabor de la carne) pero tuvo una relación inversa con el consumo alimenticio. Los mayores rendimientos de carcasa se obtuvieron hasta la inclusión de 25% de harina de pulpa de café en el concentrado. Por lo tanto, la harina de pulpa de café, como insumo para formular concentrados para cuyes, tiene potencial para incrementar los índices productivos.