Application of multivariate analysis to investigate potential antioxidants in conventional and torrefacto roasted coffee

In the present work multivariate statistical techniques were applied to the coffee compounds and the overall antioxidant capacity of commercial conventional and torrefacto roasted coffees in order to investigate the main antioxidant compounds in coffee. Statistical analyses showed significant correlations between browned compounds, trigonelline, 5-caffeoylquinic acid and cafeic acid contents with the antioxidant activity measured by both DPPH- and redox potential methods. Trigonelline solutions showed an antioxidant capacity close to zero and should not be considered as a potential antioxidant compound. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to evidence the correlations between antioxidant capacity and coffee chemical compounds. Conventional and torrefacto roasted coffees were separated by PC1 (62.5% of the total variance) characterized by antioxidant capacity and chemical compounds highly correlated with antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, a descriptive chemical characterization of conventional and torrefacto ground roasted coffee has been carried out. Sixty-nine volatile compounds were identified and quantified. Their negative correlations with antioxidant capacity suggest a prooxidant capacity that should need further investigations

Effect of ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment on coffee brew stability

In this work, the influence of an Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treatment on chemical and sensory composition of Arabica coffee brews for a longer shelf-life has been studied. A temperature of 120 degrees C for 2 s allows to obtain a microbiologically safe coffee brew, good valued from the sensory point of view. The behavior of the UHT vs non UHT treated coffee brew was followed throughout 120 days of storage at 4 degrees C. The UHT treatment keeps the typical acidity of the brews longer, delaying and softening the pH decrease and the development of sourness, which is one of the main causes for the rejection of stored coffee brews. The UHT treatment hardly affects the concentrations of caffeine and trigonelline, and of some phenolic compounds such as 5-caffeoylquinic (5-CQA), caffeic or ferulic acids. Sixteen key odorants and staling volatiles were analyzed by HS-GC-MS and lower changes were observed in the UHT treated coffee brew throughout storage. Higher DPPH center dot scavenging activity was observed in the UHT treated coffee brew from days 60 to 120. In conclusion, the application of an UHT treatment is proposed to extend the shelf-life (up to 60 days) of stored coffee brews

Development of finely dispersed Ti- and Zr-doped isotropic graphites for the divertor of next step fusion devices

Finely dispersed Ti- and Zr-doped isotropic graphites have been manufactured using three different starting raw materials. The aim is to obtain doped fine grain isotropic graphites with reduced chemical erosion, high thermal shock resistance and low cost, which aim to be competitive with present carbon-based candidate materials for next step fusion devices. First ITER relevant thermal shock loads were applied on test specimens of these materials. The brittle destruction behaviour of graphite is greatly improved by doping with Ti or Zr, most probably due to a significant increase of thermal conductivity related to the catalytic effect of TiC and ZrC on the graphitization. Doped graphites manufactured with the synthetic mesophase pitch 'AR' as raw material showed the best performance from the three investigated raw materials due to its higher graphitability. The eroded surfaces of doped graphites exhibit a thin solidified carbide layer, probably caused by the segregation of liquid carbide during the thermal shot

Application of multivariate analysis to investigate potential antioxidants in conventional and torrefacto roasted coffee

In the present work multivariate statistical techniques were applied to the coffee compounds and the overall antioxidant capacity of commercial conventional and torrefacto roasted coffees in order to investigate the main antioxidant compounds in coffee. Statistical analyses showed significant correlations between browned compounds, trigonelline, 5-caffeoylquinic acid and cafeic acid contents with the antioxidant activity measured by both DPPH- and redox potential methods. Trigonelline solutions showed an antioxidant capacity close to zero and should not be considered as a potential antioxidant compound. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to evidence the correlations between antioxidant capacity and coffee chemical compounds. Conventional and torrefacto roasted coffees were separated by PC1 (62.5% of the total variance) characterized by antioxidant capacity and chemical compounds highly correlated with antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, a descriptive chemical characterization of conventional and torrefacto ground roasted coffee has been carried out. Sixty-nine volatile compounds were identified and quantified. Their negative correlations with antioxidant capacity suggest a prooxidant capacity that should need further investigations