Considerations on the authenticity and nutritional aspects of green coffee products consumed in Brazil

Abstract

Several benefits have been attributed to the consumption of green coffee, in the form of capsules or teas, mainly due to its high content of phenolic acids, which allegedly show antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic activities in vitro. Chlorogenic acid is the phenolic compound present in greater proportion in coffee and the consumption of green coffee extract has been associated with health and loss of weight. However, beyond these bioactive compounds with a healthy appeal, other compounds which can have deleterious health effects should be considered in the consumption of these extracts, such as the presence of contaminants (ochratoxin A and its producing fungi), phytates, and tannins, which exhibit anti-nutritional characteristics. In that sense, this manuscript seeks to assess the composition of commercial green coffee extracts, analyzing their authenticity, nutritional and anti-nutritional aspects, to provide technical information for a qualified discussion about the effective healthiness of the consumption of commercial green coffee extracts. Nine samples of green coffee food supplements were selected and a product was prepared to serve as a standard. It was possible to identify coffee DNA in six of the commercial samples of food supplements. The products had antioxidant activity between 33 and 2408 µmol of Trolox/g. It was possible to identify chlorogenic acid in all samples with concentrations ranging from 0.023 - 20 mg / g of coffee. Six samples presented positive values for ochratoxin A, despite being within the limits of the coffee roasted legislation, there is a certain concern about the safety of these supplements.