Scientists from Kanazawa University in Japan have identified
kahweol acetate and cafestol -- hydrocarbon compounds naturally found in Arabica coffee -- which may inhibit growth of prostate cancer.
It was not just caffeine, but a mix of compounds including hydroxycinnamic acids notably chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, diterpenes eg cafestol and
kahweol, and caffeic acid, that is said to be the reason behind the link, said Mattias Carlstrom, Associate Professor from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
-A number of potentially clinically relevant compounds are present in coffee, including: caffeine, hydroxycinnamic acids notably chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, diterpenes eg cafestol and
kahweol, and caffeic acid ( ANI )
The coffee diterpene
kahweol induces heme oxygenase-1 via the PI3K and p38/Nrf2 pathway to protect human dopaminergic neurons from 6-hydroxydopaminederived oxidative stress.
Among them, one finds caffeine, which elevates the blood pressure; diterpenes, such as cafestol and
kahweol, which may lead to metabolic disorders like dyslipidemias; and chlorogenic acids, which protect from atheromatous plaque formation.
American and Italian studies found the caffeine, coffee oils,
kahweol, cafestol and antioxidants protect the organ.
Among the discriminating variables we found signals at 5.8, 6.2, 6.3, and 7.3 ppm attributed to
Kahweol, a molecule that is mostly present in the Arabica species [38].
Coffee contains caffeine and salts of palmitic acid (
kahweol and cafestol palmitate), which are absorbed by the rectal veins.
The cytotoxicity of
kahweol in HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells is mediated by apoptosis and suppression of heat shock protein 70 expression.
In vitro experiment suggested that cafestol and
kahweol decreased 50% genotoxicity of human-derived hepatoma cells.
The chemical constituents of arabica coffee involve phenolic compounds and their derivatives (such as chlorogenic acids), alkaloids (specially caffeine), diterpenoid alcohols (such as cafestol and
kahweol), carbohydrates, lipids, and volatile and heterocyclic compounds [3].