Along with the threat of climate change in the coffee industry, Stenophylla is particularly fascinating. Population of coffee species was originally discovered – or newly discovered – in Sierra Leone in 2019 by Dr. Aaron Davis from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Dr. Jeremy Haggar from the University of Greenwich, who has not been seen in the wild since 1954. Stenophylla turned out to be more resistant to heat than Arabica, and at the same time has similar taste features, which makes it an attractive alternative.
The similarities of the taste between Stenophylla and Arabica have so far been based on sensory analysis through BPPY. But now up-to-date research has examined chemical profiles to find key similarities between these two species.
Recently published in The Nature Journal Scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew-w Davis, as well as Dr. Haggara from the University of Greenwich-observed spectrometry of liquid chromatography and mass (LC-MS) for analyzing 25 samples of green coffee, including: 11 Arabic samples (“Five Indigenous Etsopian Cululit Brazil, Kolbica, Rwanda and Indoneza “). Eight stalwart from Brazil, Rwanda, Uganda, India and Indonesia and seven wild samples of Stenophylli from Sierra Leone.
Of the over 700 compounds found in green coffee, which they considered an impact on its taste, scientists refined in 37 “considered essential” for the taste of coffee. After grinding coffee with mortar and crushing, the areas were left to a degree at room temperature in a mixture of methanol and water 4: 1 for 24 hours. After the examination through LC-MS, they discovered that despite the fact that they were different morphologically and phylogenetically, and also grow in different climates, Stenyo-Arabica and Arabica had similar chemical makeup, especially compared to Robusta.
In particular, it was found that Stenophylla and Arabica have a similar level of caffeine, chlorogenic, feruloilquine, caffeine and lemon and sucrose acid.
Still, there were differences. For example, Stenophylla had a lower level of both chinic and apple acids. Scientists also detected tearia in Stenophylli samples, which makes it the first species of coffee that contains a relationship. According to the article “Theater for the first time was isolated from plants as crystals in the remains left after the de-cast of gigantic amounts of tea” and, although not tested as caffeine, was associated with improving cognitive performance, and did not have “the same stimulant effects as caffeine.”
There is also a benefit of knockout. Since Stenophylla is the only species containing theater, the relationship can be used as a reliable marker to verify coffee samples and protection against falsification and fraud that would be a benefit for a up-to-date species on the market.
The study offers confirmation of sensory analysis that Stenophylla and Arabica have similar taste profiles, which makes it real replacement in areas where Arabica is no longer suitable for cultivation. To get a more detailed look at the analysis, read the full article.
