Geographic origin characterization of Brazilian green coffee beans via untargeted metabolomics

Abstract

Coffee is a widely popular beverage worldwide, known for its distinct sensory properties which are greatly affected by geographical origin. Herein, we performed an untargeted metabolomic evaluation of green coffee beans (n = 40) from four different regions in Brazil: Cerrado Mineiro, Sul de Minas, Caparaó, and Mogiana Paulista; by using UHPLC-HRMS (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry). The most significant metabolites responsible for coffee characterization were theobromine, zeatin, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, chlorogenic acids, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, abscisic acid, and jasmonic acid. Our findings demonstrate that the green coffee cultivated in Cerrado Mineiro, the most valuable among the four samples evaluated, exhibits a unique and typical metabolite profile, setting it apart from the coffee beans grown in other regions. Finally, the findings reported may be relevant for coffee producers in the Cerrado Mineiro area, as they contribute to establishing a certificate of origin for their high-quality product.