Characterization of the lipid fraction of green coffee in improved varieties of Coffea Arabica L.

The lipid fraction of the coffee bean, as well as the compounds that compose it, play an important role in the sensory quality of the beverage. This research was carried out with the purpose of chemically characterize the lipidic fraction of green coffee in the varieties Tabi, Cenicafé 1 and the regional ones Castillo® Naranjal, Castillo® El Tambo and Castillo® Pueblo Bello, coming from plots grown in different locations in Colombia, during two years of harvesting. The total lipid contents, the fatty acid composition (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, arachidic) and the isomers ?-, ?-, ?-, and ?- Tocopherol were determined. The samples were sensory valuated according to the method used by Almacafé, following the NTC 4883 standard. The average content of total lipids varied between 10.7 - 12.3% in dry base (b.d), presenting significant differences for the Tabi variety with respect to the other varieties. The average contents of tocopherols (vitamin E) were in the range between 40.6 - 60.2 mg of vitamin E/100 g of coffee oil, the ?-Tocopherol isomer stands out for its contents higher than those reported by other authors. Regarding the composition of fatty acids, palmitic acid with a content between 38.7 - 40.5% was identified as the main acid, followed by linoleic acid with an average content between 34.1 - 37.9%. Regarding the sensory evaluation, the global impression attribute classified the average cup quality of the varieties as standard samples, with values of qualification ranges lower than 4.5, possibly due to a poor postharvest process, which has an impact on the quality of the coffee drink.