Methylxanthine and Flavonoid Contents from Guarana Seeds ( Paullinia cupana ): Comparison of Different Drying Techniques and Effects of UV Radiation

• Published in: International journal of food science Vol. 2024; no. 1; p. 7310510
• Main Authors: da Silva Junior, André Luiz Sampaio, Nascimento, Madson Moreira, Santos, Herick Macedo, Lôbo, Ivon Pinheiro, de Oliveira, Rosilene Aparecida, de Jesus, Raildo Mota
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Hindawi Limited 2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Caffeine; Chromatography; Cocoa; Coffee; Experiments; Moisture content; Paullinia cupana; Seeds; Solar energy; Sun; Ultraviolet radiation; Brazil; St Louis Missouri; United States > US; Germany
• ISSN: 2314-5765; 2356-7015; 2314-5765
• DOI: 10.1155/2024/7310510

Guarana seeds are typically processed using one of three drying methods: traditional sun exposure, greenhouse drying, or the oven technique. In our research, we evaluated the contents of methylxanthines and flavan-3-ols in sun- and -dried guarana seeds from Bahia State's Low Sul Identity Territory. Caffeine, theobromine, catechin, and epicatechin were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-visible detection (HPLC/UV-vis). Statistical tools, including analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's test, and exploratory analysis, were employed to analyze the obtained data. Our findings indicated that the flavan-3-ols content in sun-dried guarana samples was lower compared to those dried using the oven, possibly due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from solar energy. Conversely, we observed no significant differences ( > 0.05) in the average contents of methylxanthines between the two drying methods. Our supplementary experiments involving UV-A and UV-C radiation lamps revealed a decreasing trend in methylxanthines and flavan-3-ols contents with increasing duration of UV radiation exposure.