Yi-Fang Chu

Roasted Coffees High in Lipophilic Antioxidants and Chlorogenic Acid Lactones Are More Neuroprotective than Green Coffees

Oxidative stress is involved in many neurodegenerative processes leading to age-related cognitive decline. Coffee, a widely consumed beverage, is rich in many bioactive components, including polyphenols with antioxidant potential. In this study, regular and decaffeinated samples of both roasted and green coffee all showed high hydrophilic antioxidant activity in vitro, whereas lipophilic antioxidant activities were on average 30-fold higher in roasted than in green coffee samples. In primary neuronal cell culture, pretreatment with green and roasted coffees (regular and decaffeinated) protected against subsequent H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress and improved neuronal cell survival (green coffees increased neuron survival by 78%, compared to 203% by roasted coffees). All coffee extracts inhibited ERK1/2 activation, indicating a potential attenuating effect in stress-induced neuronal cell death. Interestingly, only roasted coffee extracts inhibited JNK activation, evidencing a distinctive neuroprotective benefit. Analysis of coffee phenolic compounds revealed that roasted coffees contained high levels of chlorogenic acid lactones (CGLs); a significant correlation between CGLs and neuroprotective efficacy was observed (R(2) = 0.98). In conclusion, this study showed that roasted coffees are high in lipophilic antioxidants and CGLs, can protect neuronal cells against oxidative stress, and may do so by modulation of the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways.

Crude caffeine reduces memory impairment and amyloid β1–42 levels in an Alzheimer’s mouse model

Alzheimers disease (AD), a chronic neurodegenerative disorder associated with the abnormal accumulations of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide and oxidative stress in the brain, is the most common form of dementia among the elderly. Crude caffeine (CC), a major by-product of the decaffeination of coffee, has potent hydrophilic antioxidant activity and may reduce inflammatory processes. Here, we showed that CC and pure caffeine intake had beneficial effects in a mouse model of AD. Administration of CC or pure caffeine for 2months partially prevented memory impairment in AD mice, with CC having greater effects than pure caffeine. Furthermore, consumption of CC, but not pure caffeine, reduced the Aβ(1-42) levels and the number of amyloid plaques in the hippocampus. Moreover, CC and caffeine protected primary neurons from Aβ-induced cell death and suppressed Aβ-induced caspase-3 activity. Our data indicate that CC may contain prophylactic agents against the cell death and the memory impairment in AD.

Supercritical CO2 Decaffeination of Unroasted Coffee Beans Produces Melanoidins with Distinct NF‐κB Inhibitory Activity

UNLABELLED The supercritical CO(2)-decaffeination process causes unroasted coffee beans to turn brown. Therefore, we suspected that the decaffeinated beans contained melanoidins. Decaffeinated unroasted coffee extract absorbed light at 405 nm with a specific extinction coefficient, K(mix 405 nm), of 0.02. Membrane dialysis (molecular weight cut-off, 12 to 14 kDa) increased the K(mix 405 nm) value 15 fold. Gel filtration chromatography showed that the high-MW fraction (MW > 12 kDa) had an elution profile closer to that of melanoidins of medium-roast coffee than to the corresponding fraction of unroasted coffee, indicating the presence of melanoidins in decaffeinated unroasted beans. Using murine myoblast C2C12 cells with a stably transfected nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) luciferase reporter gene, we found that the high-MW fraction of decaffeinated unroasted beans had an NF-κB inhibitory activity of IC(50) = 499 μg/mL, more potent than that of regular-roast coffee (IC(50) = 766 μg/mL). Our results indicate that melanoidins form during the supercritical CO(2)-decaffeination process and possess biological properties distinct from those formed during the regular roasting process. PRACTICAL APPLICATION We discovered the roasting effect of decaffeination process, reporting the discovery of melanoidins in green (unroasted) decaf coffee beans. Our results indicated that melanoidins form during the supercritical CO2-decaffeination process and possess biological properties distinct from those formed during the regular roasting process. Our results offer new insights into the formation of bioactive coffee components during coffee decaffeination process.

Flaking process increases the NF-κB inhibition activity and melanoidin extractability of coffee

Research on the health impacts of coffee has escalated. However, few studies were devoted to understanding the potential impact of mechanical processing on coffees chemistry and subsequent health implications. Coffee flaking is a commonly used process to improve extractability and aroma characteristics. In this study, we studied the biochemical activity, chemical composition, and microstructure of coffee before and after flaking. We found that flaked coffee extract had 3.3-fold higher activity in inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation than regular coffee extract. Interestingly, flaking did not significantly alter the amount of coffee phenolics. It increased coffee melanoidin, by 2.1-fold, which likely contributed to the observed higher activity in inhibiting NF-κB activation. Flaking crushed cell walls revealed by microscopy might possibly result in disruption of polysaccharide entanglement and release of high-molecular-weight compounds, such as melanoidins. Consequently, the increased melanoidin content in the brew resulted in the increased inhibition of NF-κB activation. Small molecules, like coffee phenolics, are readily soluble in water during coffee brewing even without flaking, suggesting that flaking has no effect on its extractability. In summary, our investigation revealed that flaking enhanced NF-κB inhibition activity, possibly through the release of melanoidins from crushed cell microstructures.