Investigating amino acid sugar interactions for cocoa-like aroma generation in a chickpea flour based solid food matrix

The generation of cocoa-like flavours through controlled Maillard reaction pathways represents a promising approach for developing cocoa-inspired food systems from alternative plant-based matrices. Cocoa aroma development is strongly influenced by the availability and composition of amino acids and sugars precursors generated during fermentation and transformed during roasting. However, in non-cocoa matrices, the contribution of individual precursor to volatile compounds associated to cocoa-like flavours is insufficiently understood. It is hypothesized that amino acids structures and reducing sugars type will strongly influence the resulting volatile compounds profile, with branched-chain amino acids promoting the formation of alkylpyrazines and Strecker aldehydes, while combined precursor systems may generate a broader and more complex aroma profile. This study investigates the use of chickpea flour as a solid food matrix to support the Maillard-driven generation of cocoa-like flavour under roasting.. Chickpea flour was selected due to its ability to provide a realistic plantbased environment for precursor incorporation and thermal flavour development. The influence of amino acids precursors commonly associated with cocoa fermentation, including leucine, phenylalanine, alanine, valine, glycine, and their combined systems, will be evaluated in combination with different reducing sugars (fructose and xylose) to determine their contribution to cocoa-like aroma formation. Following controlled roasting, volatile aroma compounds will be characterized using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Particular attention will be given to key compounds, which contribute to roasted, nutty, and chocolate sensory characteristics. This work provides insight into the design of cocoa-inspired solid food matrices and the development of plantbased flavour systems through targeted manipulation of Maillard chemistry.