Microbial communities and biochemical compounds involved in coffee fermentation from different altitudes of the Caparaó region

Abstract

Minas Gerais is the most coffee producing state of Brazil, mainly of Catuaí variety. After this state comes Espirito Santo, containing the Caparaó region known for its specialty coffees harvested in mountains located at altitudes from 700 to 1,400 m. The differences perceived in coffee during tasting derived from pre-and post-harvest factors. Among those factors are the producing regions, coffee variety, temperature, altitude, processing methods, and type of fermentation. As a result, those factors change either the fruits or beans chemical characteristics together with their microbiota. In this sense, the first article aimed to characterize microbiologically (target NGS) and chemically fermented coffees from different altitudes processed via natural. Altitude was an important variable that caused shifts in the microbial community and biochemical compounds content. Also, coffees from a lower altitude contained a high bacterial richness and volatile alcohols contents. While high altitude coffees contained high esters, aldehydes, and phenolics contents. The second article aimed to study the dominant communities and evaluate the effect of altitude in those communities and on the biochemical profile from fermented coffees processed via pulped natural. Low altitude coffees favored the richness of bacteria and fungi. The pulped natural process presented dominance of citric acid, volatile alcohols, and caffeine.