CHAPTER 34: Phytochemicals From Coffea Leaves

Coffee leaf tea has been imbibed for centuries in certain African countries, and this is slowly increasing worldwide. This chapter will review the phytochemical composition of coffee leaves, with special focus on the potential importance of mangiferins in disease prevention. To date, the major bioactive compounds detected in coffee leaf extracts are the polyphenols, namely chlorogenic acids (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic), xanthones (mangiferin and isomangiferin) and flavonoids (rutin glucoside, quercetin diglucoside, kaempferol diglucoside rhamnoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnogalactoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside or rutin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, and kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoglucoside), along with the alkaloid caffeine. Among these compounds, mangiferins are particularly interesting, and hold high potential as cancer chemo-preventive agents, but readily available sources are scarce. Consumption of coffee leaf tea as a natural source of mangiferins may contribute significantly to increasing the intake of these potentially health-promoting phenolic compounds.