Chlorogenic acid and caffeine contents in various commercial brewed coffees

Abstract

Twelve commercial brewed coffees (seven regular and five decaffeinated) were analyzed for chlorogenic acids (CGA) and caffeine by HPLC. Their pH and UV-Vis absorbances were also measured. The CGAs identified were three caffeolylquinic acids (3-CQA, 4-CQA, and 5-CQA), three feruloylquinic acids (3-FQA, 4-FQA, and 5-FQA), and three dicaffeoylquinic acids (3,4-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA, and 4,5-diCQA). The total CGAs ranged from 5.26 mg/g to 17.1 mg/g in regular coffees and from 2.10 mg/g to 16.1 mg/g in decaffeinated coffees. Among CGA, 5-CQA was present at the highest level, ranging from 2.13 mg/g to 7.06 mg/g coffee, and comprising 36-42% and 37-39% of the total CGA in the regular and decaffeinated coffees, respectively. CGA isomer contents were, in decreasing order, 5-CQA > 4-CQA > 3-CQA > 5-FQA > 4-FQA > 3-FQA > 3,4-diCQA > 4,5-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA. The caffeine content in regular and decaffeinated coffees ranged from 10.9 mg/g to 16.5 mg/g and from 0.34 mg/g to 0.47 mg/g, respectively. The pH of regular and decaffeinated coffees ranged from 4.95 to 5.99 and from 5.14 to 5.80, respectively. The relationship between the pH and the UV-Vis absorbance at 325 nm was moderately correlated (R2 = 0.7829, p < 0.001, n = 12).