Identification of physiological analysis parameters associated with coffee beverage quality

ABSTRACT The demand for high-quality coffee among consumers has generated a great deal of interest among producers in serving this market. Parameters for physiological analyses that can be associated with aspects of sensory analyses of coffee can ensure more reliable results for coffee quality assessments. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of physiological analyses in determining coffee quality through multivariate analysis. Several samples from coffee bean/seed lots were placed in cold storage at 10 °C, after which the sensory quality, physiological quality, and chemical characteristics of the beans were evaluated before storage and after three and six months of storage. The variables of physiological quality in the coffee beans were correlated with sensory analysis parameters. The viability of coffee embryos revealed by the tetrazolium test results were positively correlated with the final sensory analysis score. There was a correlation of root dry matter, hypocotyl dry matter, potassium leaching, and electrical conductivity with the sensory attributes that comprise the final sensory analysis score for the coffee beans. Variation in the final sensory analysis score was explained up to 97.14% by the variables radical emergence (r2 = 2.27%), strong normal seedlings, (r2 = 0.56%), seedlings with expanded cotyledonary leaves (r2 = 0.53%), tetrazolium test results (r2 = 91.54%), and potassium leaching (r2 = 2.24%). More studies are required to enable the use of physiological analyses to complement sensory analysis.摘要 消费者对高品质咖啡的需求，促使生产商对该供应市场产生浓厚兴趣。可与咖啡感官分析（sensory analysis）维度相关联的生理分析参数，能够为咖啡品质评定提供更为可靠的结果。本研究旨在通过多元分析（multivariate analysis）探究生理分析技术在咖啡品质判定中的应用潜力。研究人员将多批次咖啡豆/种子样品置于10℃的冷藏环境中，分别在储藏前、储藏3个月及6个月后，对咖啡豆的感官品质、生理品质与化学特性开展评测。随后将咖啡豆生理品质相关变量与感官分析参数进行相关性分析。结果显示，四唑鎓试验（tetrazolium test）测得的咖啡胚活力，与最终感官评分呈显著正相关。根系干物质、下胚轴干物质、钾浸出量及电导率等指标，与构成咖啡豆最终感官评分的各项感官属性均存在相关性。最终感官评分的变异可由以下变量解释达97.14%：胚根萌发率（r²=2.27%）、健壮正常幼苗占比（r²=0.56%）、具展开子叶的幼苗占比（r²=0.53%）、四唑鎓试验结果（r²=91.54%）以及钾浸出量（r²=2.24%）。未来仍需开展更多研究，以推动生理分析技术作为感官分析的补充手段实现实际应用。