Novel decaffeination process using cyclodextrins

Summary Various monomeric and polymerized cyclodextrins were investigated for their potential application in decaffeination. Treatment of aqueous caffeine solutions with monomeric gammacyclodextrin resulted in a significant reduction in the caffeine content of solutions over a wide range of caffeine concentration. Polymerized beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins were also demonstrated to be effective in removing caffeine by either a batch or column decaffeination process. Under the as-yet unoptimized process conditions, caffeine reduction of around 80% could readily be achieved. The process was applicable to caffeine-containing beverages (including coffee, tea, cocoa, and cola drinks) as well as theobromine-containing beverages (such as cocoa).     

Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and orofacial clefts

BACKGROUND: Moderate caffeine intake during pregnancy is common, but little is known about its potential association with birth defects. METHODS: The National Birth Defects Prevention Study is a population‐based, case‐control study of major birth defects, excluding infants with single‐gene disorders and chromosomal abnormalities. This analysis includes infants with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate only (CPO), excluding infants whose cleft was secondary to holoprosencephaly or amniotic band sequence. Mothers reported dietary caffeine intake from coffee, tea, sodas, and chocolate in the year before pregnancy and reported intake of medications containing caffeine during pregnancy. We assessed the association between dietary caffeine intake, frequency of consuming each type of caffeinated beverage, medications containing caffeine, and CL/P or CPO among infants born from October 1997 through December 2004. RESULTS: This analysis included 1531 infants with CL/P, 813 infants with CPO, and 5711 infants with no major birth defects (controls). Examining dietary sources among control mothers, 11% reported consuming at least 300 mg of caffeine per day and 17% reported consuming less than 10 mg of caffeine per day; high consumption (≥3 servings per day) was reported by 8% (coffee), 4% (tea), and 15% (sodas); medications containing at least 100 mg caffeine/dose were reported by less than 1%. Although some effect estimates were elevated for moderate caffeine intake from all beverages, estimates were closer to the null for high caffeine levels. Isolated CL/P was associated with use of medications containing at least 100 mg of caffeine per dose. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not suggest an association between maternal dietary caffeine intake and orofacial clefts, but caffeine‐containing medications merit further study. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Coffee and tea consumption during pregnancy and risk of childhood acute myeloid leukemia: A Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC) study

BackgroundDietary habits during pregnancy have been inconsistently linked to childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML), given the putative intrauterine onset of the disease as a result of triggering events during the critical period of fetal hematopoiesis. We investigated the potential association of maternal coffee and tea consumption during pregnancy with childhood AML risk, pooling primary data from eight case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium.MethodsInformation on coffee and/or tea consumption was available for 444 cases and 1255 age- and sex-matched controls, on coffee consumption for 318 cases and 971 controls and on tea consumption for 388 cases and 932 controls. Categories for cups of daily coffee/tea consumption were created in order to explore potential dose-response associations. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression.ResultsAssociations were found neither in the analysis on coffee or tea nor in the analysis on coffee only consumption (any versus no). A positive association with increasing coffee intake was observed (>1 cup per day; OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03–1.92, increment of one cup per day; OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01–1.39). No associations were observed with tea consumption. Interaction analyses showed non-significant associations between coffee/tea and smoking. Hyperdiploidy was inversely associated with tea consumption, with other cytogenetic markers having no association with coffee/tea.ConclusionGiven the widespread consumption of caffeinated beverages among pregnant women, our finding is of important public health relevance, suggesting adverse effects of maternal coffee consumption during pregnancy in the offspring.     

The Effects of Caffeine and Caffeine-containing Beverages on the Disposition of Brain Serotonin in Rats

Caffeine and caffeine-containing beverages (instant coffee, black tea, green tea, or oolong tea) caused a significant decrease in serum tryptophan, and significant increases in brain tryptophan, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid over those in rats fed a control diet. Adenosine supplementation partially counteracted the increase of brain serotonin caused by caffeine. These results are interpreted as indicating that caffeine-containing beverages may have some nutritional and behavioral effects.     

Suppression of lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury by various types of tea and coffee in D-galactosamine-sensitized rats

Extracts of various types of tea and coffee significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury, as assessed by the plasma enzyme activities, in D-galactosamine-sensitized rats when administered orally once before injecting the drugs. There was a significant negative correlation between the caffeine levels of these extracts and liver injury. Authentic caffeine also had a hepatoprotective effect. These results suggest that caffeine-containing beverages generally suppress LPS-induced liver injury according to their caffeine content.     

Caffeine adsorption of montmorillonite in coffee extracts

The growth in health-conscious consumers continues to drive the demand for a wide variety of decaffeinated beverages. We previously developed a new technology using montmorillonite (MMT) in selective decaffeination of tea extract. This study evaluated and compared decaffeination of coffee extract using MMT and activated carbon (AC). MMT adsorbed caffeine without significant adsorption of caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), feruloylquinic acids (FQAs), dicaffeoylquinic acids (di-CQAs), or caffeoylquinic lactones (CQLs). AC adsorbed caffeine, chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and CQLs simultaneously. The results suggested that the adsorption selectivity for caffeine in coffee extract is higher in MMT than AC. The caffeine adsorption isotherms of MMT in coffee extract fitted well to the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption properties in coffee extracts from the same species were comparable, regardless of roasting level and locality of growth. Our findings suggest that MMT is a useful adsorbent in the decaffeination of a wide range of coffee extracts.     

Extraction behavior of caffeine and EGCG from green and black tea

A dipping method was developed to extract the catechins (EGCG) and alkaloids (caffeine) from green tea (Korea) and black tea (Sri Lanka). The effects of the solvent composition (water vs. ethanol), extraction time, temperatures, and solvent pH on the amount of catechins (EGCG) and alkaloids (caffeine) extracted from green and black tea were investigated. Reversedphase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to analyze the catechins (EGCG) and alkaloids (caffeine) extracted. The content of EGCG and caffeine in green tea extracts was in the range of 2.04∼0.30 and 10.22∼0.85 mg/g, respectively. The amount of EGCG and caffeine in black tea extracts was in the range of 0.32∼0.24 and 5.26∼1.01 mg/g, respectively. The amount of caffeine extracted from green and black tea was greater than the amount of EGCG. Pure water is the best solvent for extracting EGCG and caffeine from green tea. The amount of caffeine extracted from green and black tea increased as the temperature, extraction time, and hydrogen ion concentration of the solvent increased. Although the amount of EGCG extracted from green tea increased as the temperature increased, the amount of EGCG extracted from black tea was not affected by temperature. The extraction of EGCG from both green and black tea was not affected by the hydrogen ion concentration of the solvent.     

Effects of lifestyle and genetic polymorphisms on consumption of coffee or black tea and urinary caffeine levels

To find the cause of individual differences in caffeine intake and its metabolism, we investigated the effects of lifestyle and genetic polymorphisms of caffeine metabolic enzymes on coffee or black tea and urinary caffeine levels among 259 male Japanese. It was seen that cigarette smokers drank more coffee or black tea than non-smokers (p < 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between the amount of coffee or black tea consumed and age or the frequency of alcohol drinking (p < 0.05). Genetic polymorphisms of N -acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 and 2E1 did not significantly affect the habit of drinking coffee or black tea. The frequency of allele 1, the NAT2 allele of rapid acetylators, increased according to coffee or black tea consumption (0.05 < p < 0.1). Among lifestyle factors, two factors, i.e. smoking and the amount of coffee or black tea consumed, were related to urinary caffeine levels (p < 0.05). Geometric means of urinary caffeine levels were higher in the group who consumed higher amounts of coffee or black tea (p < 0.05) and those of smokers were lower than non-smokers- approximately 70% of non-smokers (p < 0.05). The genetic polymorphisms of NAT2, CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 were not significantly associated with the urinary caffeine levels according to each consumption level of coffee or black tea. This study suggests that smoking should be considered for the proper appreciation of individual differences in caffeine intake and urinary caffeine levels.     

Physiology,biochemistry and possible applications of microbial caffeine degradation

Caffeine, a purine alkaloid is a constituent of widely consumed beverages. The scientific evidence which has proved the harm of this alkaloid has paved the way for innumerable research in the area of caffeine degradation. In addition to this, the fact that the by-products of the coffee and tea industry pollute the environment has called for the need of decaffeinating coffee and tea industry’s by-products. Though physical and chemical methods for decaffeination are available, the lack of specificity for removal of caffeine in these techniques and their non-eco-friendly nature has opened the area of microbial and enzymatic degradation of caffeine. Another important application of microbial caffeine degradation apart from its advantages like specificity, eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness is the fact that this process will enable the production of industrially and medically useful components of the caffeine degradation pathway like theobromine and theophylline. This is a comprehensive review which mainly focuses on caffeine degradation, large-scale degradation of the same and its applications in the industrial world.     

Sweetened Beverages,Coffee, and Tea and Depression Risk among Older US Adults

Sweetened beverages, coffee, and tea are the most consumed non-alcoholic beverages and may have important health consequences. We prospectively evaluated the consumption of various types of beverages assessed in 1995–1996 in relation to self-reported depression diagnosis after 2000 among 263,923 participants of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived from multivariate logistic regressions. The OR (95% CI) comparing ≥4 cans/cups per day with none were 1.30 (95%CI: 1.17–1.44) for soft drinks, 1.38 (1.15–1.65) for fruit drinks, and 0.91 (0.84–0.98) for coffee (all P for trend<0.0001). Null associations were observed for iced-tea and hot tea. In stratified analyses by drinkers of primarily diet versus regular beverages, the ORs were 1.31 (1.16–1.47) for diet versus 1.22 (1.03–1.45) for regular soft drinks, 1.51 (1.18–1.92) for diet versus 1.08 (0.79–1.46) for regular fruit drinks, and 1.25 (1.10–1.41) for diet versus 0.94 (0.83–1.08) for regular sweetened iced-tea. Finally, compared to nondrinkers, drinking coffee or tea without any sweetener was associated with a lower risk for depression, adding artificial sweeteners, but not sugar or honey, was associated with higher risks. Frequent consumption of sweetened beverages, especially diet drinks, may increase depression risk among older adults, whereas coffee consumption may lower the risk.     

绿咖啡豆中低咖啡因绿原酸的提取分离研究

建立高效液相色谱—双波长同时检测咖啡豆提取物中绿原酸和咖啡因含量的方法。咖啡因和绿原酸在0.2～1.0 mg·mL-1范围内，峰面积与浓度呈现良好的线性关系。咖啡因：Y＝44077X＋227.78，R＝0.9997，RSD＝0.78%；绿原酸：Y＝34896X＋289.96，R＝0.9995, RSD＝0.93%。以绿原酸含量为指标，在单因素试验基础上建立正交试验，确定从绿咖啡豆中提取绿原酸的最佳条件为乙醇浓度20%，液料比6∶1，提取时间60 min，提取温度70 ℃。以咖啡因和绿原酸含量为指标，通过萃取试验，确定最佳脱咖啡因萃取剂为环己烷-三氯甲烷-丙酮混合溶剂，萃取工艺为1.5倍体积萃取剂萃取3次，产物中咖啡因含量由(3.52±0.08)%下降至(0.47±0.11)%。     

How induced cells of Pseudomonas sp. increase the degradation of caffeine

Decaffeination is an important process for the removal of caffeine from wastes generated by coffee and tea industries. Microbial degradation of caffeine is more useful than conventional chemical treatment because of its low cost and because it does not involve the use of toxic solvents. However, biodegradation of caffeine remains a problem because of the difficulty of finding a strain that can resist high concentration of caffeine in addition to be able to degrade caffeine at higher rates. In this study, we used the induced cells of Pseudomonas sp. for the degradation of caffeine. The induced cells (8 mg/ml) showed complete degradation of a initial concentration of caffeine of 1.2 g/l in 6 hours. The optimum pH was 7.0, the agitation rate was 180 rpm and the optimum temperature for degradation was 35 °C. Under these conditions and in the presence of magnesium, complete degradation of 1.2 g/l of caffeine was accomplished in 4 hours. Additional trials determined that induced cells completely degraded an initial concentration of caffeine of 10 g/l in 26 hours. This is the first report on a strain that can degrade high concentrations of caffeine (e.g., 10 g/l) at the maximum rate of 0.385 g/l per hour. These results suggest that the strain can be used to successfully in developing a biological process for the degradation of caffeine.     

Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for theophylline in plasma and saliva in the presence of caffeine and its metabolites and comparisons with three other assays

A new ion-pairing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for theophylline is described which allows the separation of theophylline from 1,7-dimethylxanthine — a metabolite of caffeine which interferes with most theophylline assay procedures. Levels of 1,7-dimethylxanthine equivalent to 3 mg/l theophylline were seen in individuals not taking theophylline but who drank three to four cups of coffee per day. This compound was not seen in individuals abstaining from xanthine-containing foods and beverages.     

Exaggeration of Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Patients with type 2 Diabetes by Administration of Caffeine in Coffee

ObjectiveTo test whether caffeine administered in coffee increases postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes who are habitual coffee drinkers.MethodsThe study used a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental design. Twenty adult coffee drinkers (11 women and 9 men) with type 2 diabetes treated with diet, exercise, orally administered antidiabetic agents, or some combination of these factors completed two mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTT) after an overnight fast. Before the MMTT, each study participant received 250 mg of caffeine in 16 oz (475 mL) of decaffeinated coffee or decaffeinated coffee alone, with the treatment order counterbalanced in the group. Fasting and 1-hour and 2-hour postprandial blood samples were collected for measurement of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations.ResultsGlucose and insulin responses to the MMTT were quantified by the incremental areas under the 2-hour concentration-time curves (AUC_2h). Administration of caffeine in decaffeinated coffee increased postprandial glucose and insulin responses (both P = 0.02). The mean plasma glucose AUC_2h was 28% larger and the mean plasma insulin AUC_2h was 19% larger after administration of caffeine than after administration of placebo.ConclusionOther constituents in coffee did not prevent the exaggeration of postprandial hyperglycemia by caffeine in these patients with type 2 diabetes, who were habitual coffee drinkers. Repeated on a daily basis, such effects could impair long-term glucose control in those patients with type 2 diabetes who habitually drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages. (Endocr Pract. 2007;13: 239-243)     

Mutagens in coffee and tea.

Coffee prepared in the usual way for drinking contains a substance(s) that is mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA100 without mammalian microsomal enzymes. One cup of coffee (200 ml) contains mutagen(s) inducing 1.4-4.6 X 10(5) revertants under standard conditions. Instant coffee too is mutagenic to TA100 and one cup of instant coffee prepared from 1 g of coffee powder and 200 ml of water induced 5.6-5.8 X 10(4) revertants of TA100. Caffeine-free instant coffee also has similar mutagenicity. Addition of microsomal enzymes abolished the mutagenicity. Black tea, green tea and Japanese roasted tea were also mutagenic to TA100 without S9 mix and one cup of these teas prepared in the ordinary way produced 1.7-3.8 X 10(4) revertants of TA100. Black tea and green tea were also mutagenic to TA98 in the presence of S9 mix after treatment with a glycosidase from Aspergillus niger, hesperidinase. This type of mutagen in one cup of black tea induced 2.4 X 10(5) revertants of TA98.     

Improving the quality of African robustas: QTLs for yield- and quality-related traits in Coffea canephora

Coffea canephora breeding requires combining sustainable productivity with improved technological and cup quality characteristics. Beverage quality is a complex and subjective trait, and breeding for this trait is time consuming and depends on knowledge of the genetics of its components. A highly variable C. canephora progeny resulting from an intraspecific cross was assessed for 63 traits over 5?years. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling agronomic, technological, and quality-related traits, a genetic map comprising 236 molecular markers was constructed, and composite interval mapping was performed. Beverage quality was evaluated in relation to biochemical and cup tasting traits. QTLs were identified for almost half of the traits evaluated, with effects ranging from 6% to 80% of phenotypic variation. Most of them present a consistent detection over years. The strongest QTLs explained a high percentage of the variation for yield in 2006 (34% to 57%), bean size (25% to 35%), content of chlorogenic acids (22% to 35%), sucrose and trigonelline content (29% to 81%), and acidity and bitterness of coffee beverages (30% to 55%). Regions of the C. canephora genome influencing beverage quality were identified. Five QTL zones were co-localized with candidate genes related to the biosynthesis of the analyzed traits: two genes coding for caffeine biosynthesis, one gene implicated in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acids, and two genes implicated in sugar metabolism. This is one of the first studies on the identification of QTLs combining agronomic and quality traits in coffee. The high variability of quality traits within C. canephora and the presence of consistent QTLs offer breeders a promising tool to improve coffee cup quality.     

模拟酸雨和铝调控对茶叶主要化学品质与铝积累的影响

为研究模拟酸雨和铝(Al)对茶叶主要化学品质与Al积累的影响及其交互作用,采用3个酸度水平(pH 3.0、4.0、5.0)和4种Al浓度水平(0、10、20、30 mg L-1),用溶液培养法研究茶叶的主要化学指标和Al含量的异同.结果表明,在模拟酸雨下,茶叶的茶多酚和咖啡碱含量随酸度增加先增加后下降,氨基酸、儿茶素和...     

Purine Alkaloids of the Fruits of Camellia sinensis L. and Coffea arabica L. during Fruit Development

The amounts of two purine alkaloids, caffeine and theobromine,in the fruit of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) increased markedlyduring the growing season until the fruit was full-ripened anddried. In the dry fruit, the pericarp contained the most alkaloids,but there were also considerable amounts in the seed coat and,to a lesser extent, the fruit stalk and the seed. The shed seedsalso contained significant amounts of the alkaloids, especiallyin the seed coats. In contrast with the dry fruit of tea, seedsand pericarp of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) fruit contained aconsiderable amount of caffeine and a small amount of theobromide.A small amount of theophylline was also present in the pericarpof the ripened fruit. Relationships between growth and purinealkaloid content in tea and coffee fruits and their roles duringseed formation are discussed. Camellia sinensis L., tea, Coffea arabica L., coffee, purine alkaloids, fruit development, seed, seed coat, caffeine, theobromine, theophylline