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