Biosynthesis of Chlorogenic Acids in Growing and Ripening Fruits of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora Plants

Abstract

Chlorogenic acids are major secondary metabolites found in coffee seeds. The accumulation of chlorogenic acids and free quinic acids was studied in Coffea arabica cv. Tall Mokka and Coffea canephora seeds. Growth stages are specified from I to V, corresponding to rapid expansion and pericarp growth (I), endosperm formation (II), mature (green) (III), ripening (pink) (IV), and fully ripened (red) (V) stages. We detected monocaffeoylquinic acids (3CQA, 4CQA and 5CQA), dicaffeoylquinic acids (3,4diCQA, 3,5diCQA and 4,5diCQA) and a monoferuloylquinic acid (5FQA) in whole fruits (stage I), pericarps and seeds. The most abundant chlorogenic acid was 5CQA, which comprised 50-60% of the total of C. arabica and 45-50% of C. canephora seeds. The content of dicaffeoylquinic acid, mainly 3,5d diCQA, was high in C. canephora. A high content of 5FQA was found in seeds of stages III to V, especially in C. canephora. Total chlorogenic acids were accumulated up to 14 mg per fruit in C. arabica and 17 mg in C. canephora, respectively. In contrast, free quinic acid varied from 0.4-2.0 mg (C. arabica) and 0.2-4.0 mg (C. canephora) per fruit during growth. High biosynthetic activity of 5CQA, which was estimated via the incorporation of [U-14C]phenylalanine into chlorogenic acids, was found in young fruits (perisperm and pericarp) in stage I, and in developing seeds (endosperm) in stages II and III. The biosynthetic activity of chlorogenic acids was clearly reduced in ripening and ripe seeds, especially in C. canephora. Transcripts of PAL1, C3′H and CCoAMT, three genes related to the chlorogenic acid biosynthesis, were detected in every stage of growth, although the amounts were significantly less in stage V. Of these genes, CCoAMT, a gene for FQA biosynthesis, was expressed more weakly in stage I. The transcript level of CCoAMT was higher in seeds than in pericarp, but the reverse was found in PAL1. The pattern of expression of genes for the CQA and FQA synthesis is roughly related to the estimated biosynthetic activity, and to the accumulation pattern of chlorogenic acids.

Tea, Coffee, and Cocoa as Ultraviolet Radiation Protectants for the Beet Armyworm Nucleopolyhedrovirus

“…In the current study, we expanded our investigation to include two other widely used beverages with high concentrations of UV-absorbing phenolics (cocoa and coffee) (Scalbert and Williamson 2000, Alemanno et al 2003, Koshiro et al 2007) and antioxidants (Radtke et al 1998, Lee et al 2003, Pellegrini et al 2003). All four beverages at 1.0% concentration provided excellent UV protection (Ͼ95% OAR) during a 15-min UV exposure.…”

Analyses of chlorogenic acids and related cinnamic acid derivatives from Nicotiana tabacumtissues with the aid of UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based on the in-source collision-induced dissociation method

“…Moreover, they possess some notable bio-medical or pharmacological properties [1-3]. CGAs are phenolic compounds produced through the shikimate- and phenylpropanoid pathways [4,5], and have been identified in responses against both biotic and abiotic stressors [6]. The most common naturally-occurring cinnamic acid derivatives that have been reported to be utilized during the biosynthesis of these molecules are p- coumaric -, caffeic- and ferulic acid which give rise to p- coumaroylquinic acid ( p CoQA), caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) and feruloylquinic acid (FQA), respectively [1,2].…”

UHPLC‐ESI‐QqTOF‐MS/MS characterization of minor chlorogenic acids in roasted Coffea arabica from different geographical origin

“…Both, the content and the profile of CGAs in green coffee beans are affected by several factors, including botanical species, crops and cultivars, geographical origin, degree of ripeness, harvest and post-harvest processing, agricultural practices, and decaffeination process. [11][12][13][14][15][16] After caffeine, chlorogenic acids are the secondary metabolites most investigated in coffee, due to their relevant role as aroma and taste precursors as well as their biological activities. [17][18][19][20][21][22] In fact, roasting process induces a number of CGA chemical changes leading to the formation of volatile organic compounds that are very important for coffee aroma.…”