Reduction in the Cocoa Spontaneous and Starter Culture Fermentation Time Based on the Antioxidant Profile Characterization  
[PERSON]  
1 Instituto de Investigacion, Innovacion y Desarrollo para el Sector Agraito y Agraiondustrial (IDAA), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodriguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas 01001, Peru; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.J.P.-M.)[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (D.F.T.-R.)[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A  
denomination of origin is \"Cacao Amazonas Peru\", produced only in the provinces of Bagua and Uctubamba [3].  
To achieve the complex formation of the characteristic flavor of the cocoa bean, a crucial process is fermentation [4; 5], during which the pulp is removed from the bean [6]. In addition, several biochemical, enzymatic, and microbiological reactions occur in this process, resulting in volatile fractions and metabolites that are precursors of cocoa flavor and aroma [7], which later, during drying and roasting, lead to the presence of chemical compounds that determine an adequate chemical and sensory quality of chocolate [8]. Currently, this process has a very heterogeneous duration, depending, among other things, on the variety [9]. According to [PERSON] et al. [10] and [PERSON] et al. [3], fermentation lasts between 4 and 7 days and can affect the concentration of metabolites, hence the sensory quality. This process is called spontaneous fermentation [11; 12] and produces unpleasant flavors if it is subjected to prolonged periods due to an increase in bacilli and filamentous fungi [10].  
[PERSON] et al. [10] have reported several studies that, through multivariate analysis based on key biomarkers (non-volatile and volatile), allow distinguishing three stages of cocoa fermentation. This can help to identify an ideal fermentation time [13], for which interest has arisen in shorter fermentations (especially in Criollo cocoa), as it improves the delicate flavor of the bean by reducing bitterness and astringency [12; 14].  
An alternative that has emerged to minimize quality variation in fermented beans is the addition of starter cultures to the fermentation system [15]. Here, potential microorganisms synthesize flavor compounds and their derivatives during fermentation [16], which reduces the time and improves the concentrations to obtain a controlled fermentation of cocoa within this group. Some reported microorganisms are yeasts (_Kluyveromyces marxianus_, _[PERSON]_, and _Sachcharomyces cerevisiae_), lactic acid bacteria (_Lactobacillus fermentum_ and _L. plantarum_), and acetic acid bacteria (_Aectobacter pasteurium_, _A. aceti_, and _A. tropicalis_) [17].  
There are publications related to the characterization of stages during cocoa fermentation in different varieties [4; 7; 18; 19] and countries [8; 12; 15; 20; 21]. Studies agree that the fermentation time is a key factor for cocoa quality [22]; however, the reported information is very scarce for the case of Peru, especially regarding the use of starter cultures and stages during bean fermentation. In the study of [PERSON] et al. [23], two stages of fermentation based on the crystallization and polymorphism of the cocoa butter (CB) were found. They proposed that a three-day fermentation is recommended for an acceptable crystallization.  
Since no further research has been reported, there is a need to modulate cocoa bean quality, which requires characterizing fermentation times in terms of key compounds [24] and monitoring physicochemical parameters and aromatic biomarkers. Therefore, here, we report for the first time the reduction in spontaneous (SF) and starter culture (_S. cerevisiae_, SC) fermentation time based on the antioxidant profile characterization of cocoa beans harvested in Amazonas, Peru.