Abstract Technically produced extracts from roasted Arabica and Robusta coffees contain, just like the infusions prepared in the home, 20–36% carbohydrates, depending on the degree of extraction. They are composed predominantly of mannan and galactan in about the same proportions, the share of glucan and araban making up only 1–3% of the extracts. With dialysis a group of polysaccharides with a molecular weight of more than 10 000 can be separated. They make up about half of the carbohydrates of the extracts. Their composition corresponds to that of the latter. Finally, one can obtain yet another group of almost intact high polymeric carbohydrates as copper complexes. However, they consist only of mannan and galactan, mannan predominating significantly. Arabica and Robusta coffees showed differences in this respect. Whereas Arabica coffee was able to release only a certain amount of these very high-polymeric carbohydrates, Robusta coffee delivered ever greater amounts of these polysaccharides with increasing extract yields.
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