Chemical Characterization of Flavor Compounds in Arabica Coffee through a Metabolomics Approach to Understand Changes during Postharvest Fermentation
نویسندگان
1 Department of Food and Agriculture Product Technology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
2 Department of Food and Agriculture Product Technology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
3 Department of Food and Agriculture Product Technology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
4 Research Center for Environmental and Clean Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Banten, Indonesia
5 Department of Food and Agriculture Product Technology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
6 Department of Food and Agriculture Product Technology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
7 Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia
8 Research Center for Applied Microbiology‑Research Organization for Life Sciences and Environment, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia
9 Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia
10 The United Graduate School of Agriculture Science, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
doi
10.48309/ajca.2026.537804.1895چکیده
This study aimed to evaluate how different postharvest fermentation techniques influence the chemical composition and sensory attributes of Arabica coffee, with the goal of optimizing coffee quality through metabolomics-based analysis. Ripe coffee cherries (60 kg) were obtained from Solok Radjo Cooperative in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and processed using five controlled fermentation methods: Natural, Wine, Honey, Fully Washed, and Semi-Washed. The resulting green beans were roasted to a medium level, and chemical profiling was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Volatile and non-volatile compounds were analyzed, and the data were further interpreted using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify metabolomic patterns associated with each fermentation type. The results showed that dry processing methods (Wine and Natural) retained a wider variety of metabolites, including sugars (sucrose), organic acids (citric and quinic), and polyphenols (chlorogenic acid and galactinol), compared to semi-dry and wet processes. In roasted beans, key volatiles such as furans, aldehydes, esters, ketones, and pyrazines were strongly associated with favorable flavor attributes like fruity, sweet, caramel, and nutty notes. Sensory evaluation, conducted by a certified Q Grader according to Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocols, confirmed that the wine fermentation method produced the highest cupping scores and met specialty-grade classification. In conclusion, the integration of metabolomic profiling and sensory analysis demonstrated that fermentation engineering significantly shapes the chemical and sensory quality of coffee. These findings highlight the potential of science-driven fermentation techniques to support sustainable coffee processing and provide valuable insights for improving consistency and flavor complexity in the specialty coffee industry.
