Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks

Abstract Cocoa products have a remarkable chemical and sensory complexity. However, in contrast to other fermentation processes in the food industry, cocoa bean fermentation is left essentially uncontrolled and is devoid of standardization. Questions of food authenticity and food quality are hence p...

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Main Authors: Santhust Kumar, Roy N. D’Souza, Marcello Corno, Matthias S. Ullrich, Nikolai Kuhnert, Marc-Thorsten Hütt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-01-01
Series:npj Science of Food
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-021-00120-4
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author Santhust Kumar
Roy N. D’Souza
Marcello Corno
Matthias S. Ullrich
Nikolai Kuhnert
Marc-Thorsten Hütt
author_facet Santhust Kumar
Roy N. D’Souza
Marcello Corno
Matthias S. Ullrich
Nikolai Kuhnert
Marc-Thorsten Hütt
author_sort Santhust Kumar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cocoa products have a remarkable chemical and sensory complexity. However, in contrast to other fermentation processes in the food industry, cocoa bean fermentation is left essentially uncontrolled and is devoid of standardization. Questions of food authenticity and food quality are hence particularly challenging for cocoa. Here we provide an illustration how network science can support food fingerprinting and food authenticity research. Using a large dataset of 140 cocoa samples comprising three cocoa fermentation/processing stages and eight countries, we obtain correlation networks between the cocoa samples by computing measures of pairwise correlation from their liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) profiles. We find that the topology of correlation networks derived from untargeted LC-MS profiles is indicative of the fermentation and processing stage as well as the origin country of cocoa samples. Progressively increasing the correlation threshold firstly reveals network clusters based on processing stage and later country-based clusters. We present both, qualitative and quantitative evidence through network visualization, network statistics and concepts from machine learning. In our view, this network-based approach for classifying mass spectrometry data has broad applicability beyond cocoa.
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spelling doaj.art-98b973c66f204a80be65a43452a3da102022-12-21T17:23:24ZengNature Portfolionpj Science of Food2396-83702022-01-01611910.1038/s41538-021-00120-4Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networksSanthust Kumar0Roy N. D’Souza1Marcello Corno2Matthias S. Ullrich3Nikolai Kuhnert4Marc-Thorsten Hütt5Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University BremenDepartment of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University BremenBarry Callebaut AG, WestparkDepartment of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University BremenDepartment of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University BremenDepartment of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University BremenAbstract Cocoa products have a remarkable chemical and sensory complexity. However, in contrast to other fermentation processes in the food industry, cocoa bean fermentation is left essentially uncontrolled and is devoid of standardization. Questions of food authenticity and food quality are hence particularly challenging for cocoa. Here we provide an illustration how network science can support food fingerprinting and food authenticity research. Using a large dataset of 140 cocoa samples comprising three cocoa fermentation/processing stages and eight countries, we obtain correlation networks between the cocoa samples by computing measures of pairwise correlation from their liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) profiles. We find that the topology of correlation networks derived from untargeted LC-MS profiles is indicative of the fermentation and processing stage as well as the origin country of cocoa samples. Progressively increasing the correlation threshold firstly reveals network clusters based on processing stage and later country-based clusters. We present both, qualitative and quantitative evidence through network visualization, network statistics and concepts from machine learning. In our view, this network-based approach for classifying mass spectrometry data has broad applicability beyond cocoa.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-021-00120-4
spellingShingle Santhust Kumar
Roy N. D’Souza
Marcello Corno
Matthias S. Ullrich
Nikolai Kuhnert
Marc-Thorsten Hütt
Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
npj Science of Food
title Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
title_full Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
title_fullStr Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
title_full_unstemmed Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
title_short Cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
title_sort cocoa bean fingerprinting via correlation networks
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-021-00120-4
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