The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, and its fruit presents high nutritional value. However, baobab seeds are often discarded, and their potential remains underutilized.
A Portuguese study aimed to investigate the effect of roasting time (30/55/80/105 min at 200°C) on the physical-chemical properties of baobab seeds and the bioactive compounds in a coffee-like beverage. The results, published in Journal of Food Science and Technology, showed a decrease in moisture, Aw (water activity), and hardness of baobab seeds with increasing roasting time. These changes resulted from moisture loss, caramelization, and Maillard reactions, which also affected appearance when compared with unroasted baobab seeds. The pH of the beverage decreased to a value of around 6.01 after 105 min of roasting. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the beverage increased with roasting time, reaching 851.2 mg GAE/100 g (after 80 min) and 18.9 mmol Fe2+/100 g (after 55 min), respectively. The caffeine content remained stable around 16 mg/100 g from 55 to 105 min, lower than that of unroasted coffee beans and decaffeinated coffee.
These findings suggest the potential for valorizing baobab seeds in the development of a new coffee-like beverage with lower caffeine content.
