Cafestol

Sources

A typical bean of Coffea arabica contains about 0.4% to 0.7% cafestol by weight. Cafestol is present in highest quantity in unfiltered coffee drinks such as French press coffee, and Turkish coffee. In paper-filtered coffee drinks such as drip brewed coffee, it is present in only negligible amounts, as the paper filter in drip filtered coffee retains the diterpenes.

Research into biological activity

Coffee consumption has been associated with a number of effects on health and cafestol has been proposed to produce these through a number of biological actions. Studies have shown that regular consumption of boiled coffee increases serum cholesterol whereas filtered coffee does not. Cafestol may act as an agonist ligand for the nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor and pregnane X receptor, blocking cholesterol homeostasis. Thus cafestol can increase cholesterol synthesis.

Cafestol has also shown anticarcinogenic properties in rats.

Cafestol also has neuroprotective effects in a Drosophila fruit fly model of Parkinson's disease.

References

References

1. (August 2014). "Coffee: biochemistry and potential impact on health". Food & Function.
2. (2014). "Bioactive compounds content in roasted coffee from traditional and modern ''Coffea arabica'' cultivars grown under the same edapho-climatic conditions". Food Research International.
3. (2012). "Cafestol extraction yield from different coffee brew mechanisms". Food Research International.
4. (2006). "Coffee and health: a review of recent human research". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
5. (1997). "The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans". Annual Review of Nutrition.
6. (2007). "The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans, cafestol, as an agonist ligand for the farnesoid and pregnane X receptors". Molecular Endocrinology.
7. [[National Toxicology Program]]. (October 1999). "Cafestol (CASRN 469-83-0) and Kahweol (CASRN 6894-43-5) — Review of Toxicological Literature".
8. (April 2010). "Decaffeinated coffee and nicotine-free tobacco provide neuroprotection in ''Drosophila'' models of Parkinson's disease through an NRF2-dependent mechanism". The Journal of Neuroscience.
9. Callaway, E.. (April 23, 2010). "Parkinson's protection without caffeine or nicotine".