Abstract The objective of the present study was to characterize the physicochemical composition and to quantify the fatty acids of chocolates produced from different cocoa varieties (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivated in the Southern Region of Bahia. Nine samples of monovarietal chocolates were evaluated, according to their physical, thermal and fatty acid profile. The results were subjected to tests of variance and multivariate statistics. The chocolates PH16 and TSH1188 presented higher melting point. It was possible to identify a linear correlation between the fat content of the chocolates and the break force parameter. The chocolates showed higher concentration of saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), followed by the unsaturated fatty acids among which oleic acid (18:1n-9) and linoleic acid (18:6) were predominant. The principal component analysis allowed to discriminate the different varieties of chocolate according to the profile of fatty acids. The thermogravimetric analysis of the samples showed a similar profile. The differences found in the samples of chocolates were attributed to factors such as the fruit maturation process, the cocoa variety and to which they were subjected during processing.

ABSTRACT The largest endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Brazil comprise the humid agricultural regions of the Southeast, South, and, recently, the Midwest and North regions. The Ceara State, located in the Brazilian Northeast region, presents semi-arid climate in most of its territory, characterized by high temperatures, scarce vegetation and low humidity. The objective of the present study was to describe a new autochthonous case of paracoccidioidomycosis from a distinct area of Ceara and review the characteristics of PCM occurrence in Northeastern Brazil. The patient was a 65-year-old male farmer who denied traveling outside the Ceara State or living in other locations. He was born and lived in the rural area known as Camara, bordering the municipalities of Itapaje and Itapipoca. Camara is one of the highest areas (around 720 m of altitude) of the Uruburetama mountains that exhibits tropical forests and is located in Northern Ceara, distant 139 km from the capital, Fortaleza. The patient sought for care, complaining of an oral lesion that appeared over the past three years. The hard palate lesion biopsy revealed multinucleated cells with cytoplasmic inclusions, compatible with PCM. After culture, P. brasiliensis was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Serological testing for PCM was reagent. The patient was treated with itraconazole for approximately 17 months, persisting free of symptoms after 15 months of follow-up. Regarding this new autochthonous case in the Ceara State, PCM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with suggestive clinical manifestations, proceeding from the mountainous areas of Ceara.