According to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the chlorogenic acid-rich coffee fruit extracts could be a good alternative to brewed coffee where limited caffeine intake is required, like for pregnant women.
“The low caffeine content of the multistep proprietary whole coffee fruit extract (CFE-1) is therefore attractive, since a 1 g extract would provide more than 10-fold the total CGA content of a regular 200 mL cup of brewed roasted coffee (approximately 70 mg), and only 1.5 percent of the recommended maximum daily caffeine dose,” they added.
CoffeeBerry
The proprietary coffee berry extract is commercialized by FutureCeuticals under the brand name CoffeeBerry. The outer layer of the coffee fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, with research reporting that 400 mg of concentrate has a radical scavenging activity equal to 9.6 grams of fresh blueberries, 6.2 grams of strawberries, or 4.9 grams of raspberries.
Previous attempts to commercialize the fruit were thwarted by the rapid perishing of the fruit, which is why only the bitter seed were commercially exploited.
FutureCeuticals now offers a range of CoffeeBerry products, including a whole coffee fruit extract prepared by a proprietary, multi-step extraction and purification method, a whole coffee fruit extract prepared by a proprietary, single-step extraction and purification method, an air-dried whole coffee fruit powder, and a freeze-dried whole coffee fruit powder.
New Data
Researchers from the University of Glasgow, the University of Surrey, Brunswick Laboratories, and FutureCeuticals, analyzed the effects of production methods on chlorogenic acids and caffeine content in the four whole coffee fruit materials.
Results showed that the whole coffee fruit extracts had higher CGA levels, higher antioxidant capacity, and lower caffeine levels than in the air-dried and freeze-dried powders. The multi-step extract material was found to have the highest CGA content, antioxidant capacity, and, remarkably, the lowest caffeine content.
The researchers report that the CGA contents by weight were 80 and 42 percent for the multi- and single-step extracts, respectively, 4.5 percent for the air-dried powder, and 8.8 percent for the freeze-dried powder. Caffeine levels ranged from 0.44 percent in the multi-step extract to 1.03 percent in the air-dried powder, added the researchers.
The researchers also report a strong correlation between CGA content and antioxidant capacity, according to a range of assays, including ORAC, HORAC, and NORAC.
Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Published online ahead of print, ASAP Article, doi: 10.1021/jf200122m
“The Antioxidant and Chlorogenic Acid Profiles of Whole Coffee Fruits Are Influenced by the Extraction Procedures”
Authors: W. Mullen, B. Nemzer, B. Ou, A. Stalmach, J. Hunter, M. N. Clifford, and E. Combet
Disclaimer: This article has been amended since its original publication to clarify that CoffeeBerry is the registered brand name of VDF FutureCeuticals' proprietary, patented antioxidant products and is not a generic term for the fruit of the coffee plant, Coffea Arabica.