Desenvolvimento de nanosensores para detecção de Ocratoxina A e 16-O-Metil Cafestol em café arábica e café robusta

Abstract

Coffee is the second most traded product in the world, surpassed only by oil. As the quality attributed to coffee is related to the species to which it belongs (Arabica or Robusta), there is a potential risk that traders will not declare blends between Arabica and Robusta coffee. On the other hand, mycotoxins produced by fungi such as Ochratoxin A (OTA), present in coffee beans, are widely associated with the appearance of diseases that affect public health, making it important to implement detection methods. Aware that the current techniques used for coffee certification, such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), require that the sample be subjected to treatment prior to its analysis, the equipment is bulky and cannot be easily moved, there is a need for a rapid and portable method for detecting OTA and 16 - O – Methyl cafestol in coffee. This requires the development of a new sensor that offers real-time and on-site analysis capabilities, providing a more efficient and affordable solution for the coffee industry. In this Thesis, the development of nano-sensors for the detection of 16 – O – Methyl cafestol and Ochratoxin A is proposed rapid analytical methods to differentiate Arabica coffee from Robusta coffee, as well as to evaluate the safety of coffee.