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Coffee capsules: implications in antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds, and aluminum content

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Abstract

The effect of new coffee brewing, coffee capsules, on the antioxidant activity (ORAC and ABTS), total phenolic content, chlorogenic acid, caffeine, and melanoidin concentration was assessed and compared with the conventional coffeemakers (filter, mocha, and expresso). In addition, the aluminum content was also analyzed to investigate the potential migration of this metal from the capsule to the beverages. The capsule method showed the lowest values of antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. Capsule coffeemaker had the lowest extraction yield of the main coffee antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and melanoidins). On average, the highest amount of aluminum was obtained in decaffeinated coffees. Moreover, despite the fact that the coffee is considered to be a poor source of aluminum for humans, when the sample is decaffeinated, especially by Swiss Water® method and prepared by capsule machine, its aluminum content notably increases. The data collected provide useful insights for the selection of the type of coffee beverage with the major content of bioactive compounds and the minor content of harmful components for health.

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Abbreviations

GAE:

Gallic acid equivalent

HMW:

High molecular weight

TE:

Trolox equivalent

TPC:

Total phenolic content

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Funding

This study has been supported by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) AGL2017-89213.

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Author notes

  1. Luis Isac-Torrente and Beatriz Fernandez-Gomez have contributed equally to develop the article.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Analysis and Bioactivity, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC-UAM), C/Nicolás Cabrera 9, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Luis Isac-Torrente, Beatriz Fernandez-Gomez & Marta Miguel

Authors
  1. Luis Isac-Torrente
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  2. Beatriz Fernandez-Gomez
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  3. Marta Miguel
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Contributions

LIT performed the coffee samples; BFG carried out the analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography; BFG and LIT measured the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and melanoidins; BFG analyzed the aluminum data; BFG, LIT, and MM analyzed the results and wrote the manuscript. All authors have participated in the writing refinement and have given approval to the final version of the manuscript. MM performed supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Marta Miguel.

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Isac-Torrente, L., Fernandez-Gomez, B. & Miguel, M. Coffee capsules: implications in antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds, and aluminum content. Eur Food Res Technol 246, 2335–2347 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-020-03577-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-020-03577-x

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