Choo-Yong Ku Manfred, Xinying Yeo Faith, Liu Xiangning, Liu Shao-Quan
Department of Food Science and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu, China.
J Food Sci. 2025 Jul;90(7):e70423. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.70423.
Roasted carob pulp is known for its faint cocoa-like flavor. Although it exhibits potential as a cocoa replacer, its cocoa-like aroma and bitter taste are weaker than those of conventional cocoa. To shrink this flavor gap, the present study detailed a novel approach of tapping on crude protein hydrolysates for the accentuation of these flavor attributes in dark chocolates. A comparison between protease types (Flavourzyme and Neutrase) and protein substrates (whey, pea, soy, wheat, and endogenous carob pulp protein) revealed that soy protein hydrolysates derived from Flavourzyme treatment contained the highest branched-chain amino acids (BCAA; 68.82 mg/g) and short-chain peptide content (3.04 × 10 peak area). Hydrolysate-added carob pulp was correlated with a distinct increase in BCAA-derived 2-methylbutanal (38.3%) and 3-methylbutanal (69.8%) and the generation of a diverse group of alkylpyrazines, including 2-methylpyrazine (0.34 µg/g) and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (0.12 µg/g). Descriptive sensory analysis revealed a distinct increase in bitterness, which could be correlated with the introduction of short-chain bitter peptides. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study successfully validates an approach for the promotion of cocoa-like flavor attributes of roasted carob pulp. In light of current cocoa supply constraints and challenges in sustainable production, these findings are envisioned to enhance consumer acceptance of carob applications in cocoa-based products. This is especially significant for consumers who desire the cocoa-like flavor impression in such products.
烤角豆果肉以其类似可可的微弱风味而闻名。尽管它具有作为可可替代品的潜力，但其类似可可的香气和苦味比传统可可要淡。为了缩小这种风味差距，本研究详细阐述了一种利用粗蛋白水解物来增强黑巧克力中这些风味特征的新方法。蛋白酶类型（风味酶和中性蛋白酶）与蛋白质底物（乳清、豌豆、大豆、小麦和角豆果肉内源蛋白）之间的比较表明，风味酶处理得到的大豆蛋白水解物含有最高的支链氨基酸（BCAA；68.82毫克/克）和短链肽含量（3.04×10峰面积）。添加水解物的角豆果肉与BCAA衍生的2-甲基丁醛（38.3%）和3-甲基丁醛（69.8%）的显著增加以及包括2-甲基吡嗪（0.34微克/克）和3-乙基-2,5-二甲基吡嗪（0.12微克/克）在内的多种烷基吡嗪的产生相关。描述性感官分析显示苦味明显增加，这可能与短链苦味肽的引入有关。实际应用：本研究成功验证了一种促进烤角豆果肉类似可可风味特征的方法。鉴于目前可可供应的限制和可持续生产中的挑战，这些发现有望提高消费者对基于可可的产品中角豆应用的接受度。这对于渴望此类产品具有类似可可风味印象的消费者来说尤其重要。
