Comparative study of polyphenols and caffeine in different coffee varieties affected by the degree of roasting

The bioactive composition of coffee, as one of the most popular beverages in the world, has attracted interest as a potential source of beneficial bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols and caffeine. Since the content of these compounds is affected by the processing conditions, the objective of this study was to determine the content of polyphenolic compounds and caffeine in four different coffee varieties: Minas and Cioccolatato (Coffea arabica), and Cherry and Vietnam (Coffea canephora syn. Coffea robusta), roasted by three varying degrees (light, medium and dark). The content of the polyphenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of coffees were determined using UV/Vis spectrophotometric methods, while the content of chlorogenic acid derivatives was determined using HPLC analysis. The caffeine content was determined by means of two spectrophotometric methods, as well as HPLC analysis. Additionally, raw caffeine was also obtained by an isolation procedure with chloroform. Cherry coffee, a variety of C. canephora exhibited the highest overall content of total phenols (42.37 mg GAE/g), followed by Minas coffee, while Cioccolatato contained the lowest TPC (33.12 mg GAE/g). Cherry coffee also exhibited the highest content of individual classes of polyphenols (flavan-3-ols, procyanidins and tannins), while the highest content of chlorogenic acid (CQA) derivatives was determined in Minas and Cioccolatato coffees (C. arabica). The highest content of total and individual polyphenolic compounds was determined in coffees roasted in both light and medium roasting conditions, which was also observed for the content of CQA derivatives and antioxidant capacity of roasted coffees. The highest caffeine content in the coffee samples was determined by employing the HPLC analysis (0.06–2.55%). Light roasted Cherry coffee contained the highest overall content of caffeine among all coffees, which exhibited a decrease with intensified roasting.