This study aimed to investigate the aldehydes and ketones (AKs) composition in coffee beans, particularly assess the differences between green and roasted beans. Using a novel isotope-labelling-assisted liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry strategy, 142 potential AKs were identified in coffee beans extracts. Notably, the presence of tri-carbonyl in roasted coffee beans is revealed for the first time. Compared to green beans (GB), roasted beans showed a much higher abundance of AKs, highlighting the crucial role of roasting in the formation of these compounds. The total content indicated that unsaturated aliphatic AKs were abundant in GB, whereas other groups of AKs, such as diketones, furfurals, and tri-carbonyls, were present at higher levels in roasted beans. Roasting significantly increased the contents of 2-methylbutyraldehyde, acetoin, acetol, pyruvic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, methylglyoxal, 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanedione, and 2,3-hexanedione, which were 4–83 times more than those in GB. Some of them are intermediates for subsequent reactions, since their content decreased with increasing roasting degrees. Moreover, 9 AKs were selected as potential markers for distinguishing between green and roasted coffee beans and could be used to monitor the degree of roasting. Overall, this study offers valuable insights for understanding the composition and changes in AKs during coffee roasting.
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