Variability of Chlorogenic Acids in Roasted Coffee: Influence of Botanical and Geographical Origin

Abstract

Chlorogenic acids (CQAs) are among the most important phenolic compounds found in plant-based foods, and coffee is recognized as one of their richest natural sources. This study aimed to evaluate the profile of CQAs in medium-roasted Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora Pierre ex A.Froehner beans originating from diverse geographical regions. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify three main CQA isomers: 5-CQA, 4-CQA, and 3-CQA. Among them, 5-CQA was found to be the predominant compound across all samples analyzed. The results demonstrated that C. canephora samples contained significantly higher and more variable levels of CQAs (20.43 ±5.49 mg·g⁻¹) compared to C. arabica samples (12.02 ±0.98 mg·g⁻¹). Statistical analysis using ANOVA, combined with Duncan, Tukey, and Dunn post hoc tests, confirmed species-related differences in CQAs content. Additionally, violin plots provided a clear visualization of these distinctions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further indicated that the geographical origin of the samples may influence the accumulation of chlorogenic acids. These findings highlight the influence of both botanical species and environmental factors on the chemical composition of coffee. Understanding such variability is essential for ensuring product quality, maintaining authenticity, and guiding the development of value-added coffee-based products tailored to consumer preferences and health-related expectations.