RECOVERY OF POLYPHENOLS FROM DECCAFEINATED GREEN COFFEE WITH NATURAL METHODS

ABSTRACT Decaffeination process using natural methods (eg. water) is a interesting target as it reduces the risk of contamination produced with the use of solvent, such as dichloromethane. The use of water in addition to removing caffeine from green coffee, also determines the removal of other important components such as sugars and polyphenols. Especially the polyphenols recovery is being study for the possibility of reuse in different fields such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or food, thereby ensuring an economic return. The aim of this study was to identify the method for the recovery of polyphenolic compounds with low/medium cost, which can be extended on a larger scale. Different samples of green coffee were decaffeinated with different methods: solvents, supercritical extraction (SCCO2) and an experimental apparatus, using water and activated carbon. For each sample was analysed the polyphenolic profile. The phenolic content ranges from 1% in DCM and SCCO2 extract to 52.2% in water extract; from the latter the recovery was in a variable percentage from 52.36 to 64.27%.