ENHANCING COFFEE AROMAS AND FLAVOR: FERMENTING WITH LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FOR AN IMPROVED COFFEE BREW

Abstract

Civet coffee (Kopi Luwak) is renowned for its unique flavor and aroma profile, which are attributed to enzymatic and microbial transformations occurring during digestion in the civets’ gastrointestinal tracts. However, ethical concerns, sustainability issues, and inconsistent quality due to uncontrolled animal digestion pose significant drawbacks to its production. Given these disadvantages, this research aims to develop a specialty coffee that replicates the unique characteristics of civet coffee without involving animal exploitation and ethical concerns. As part of the study, several bacterial strains were isolated from civets’ feces transported from Dak Lak, Vietnam. After identification and biochemical testing, they were assumed to belong to Lactobacillus plantarum, a species of lactic acid bacteria commonly found in various fermented foods, including dairy products, pickles, and sourdough. Depulped coffee cherries were then fermented with those bacterial strains as starter cultures in optimized conditions. Following fermentation, the chemical composition of the coffee bean was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated the changes in the chemical compound profile and flavors, highlighting differences between the original and fermented coffee beans. These findings suggest that microbial fermentation could serve as a viable alternative to traditional civet coffee production, offering a more ethical and sustainable approach while maintaining desirable flavor characteristics.