Differential accumulation of bioactive metabolites in coffee cell cultures in comparison to green coffee beans

Priscilla Ollennu-Chuasam; Ville Koistinen; Heiko Rischer; Jukka Pekka Suomela

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150497

Differential accumulation of bioactive metabolites in coffee cell cultures in comparison to green coffee beans

Priscilla Ollennu-Chuasam
, Ville Koistinen
, Heiko Rischer
, Jukka Pekka Suomela^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

BA5306 Plant biotechnology

University of Turku
University of Eastern Finland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Conventional coffee production faces sustainability challenges. Coffee cell cultures (CC) are a promising alternative coffee raw material. This study investigated the composition of CC in comparison to conventional green coffee beans (GB) using untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approaches. The lipid content (g/100 g) of GB was approximately four times higher than that of CC with triglycerides as the predominant lipid class identified followed by diterpenes. Additionally, differences were observed in the diterpene profiles of CC and GB. CC accumulated more thiamine and choline but lower contents of caffeine, trigonelline, and alpha-tocopherol compared to GB. The detected carbohydrates of statistical significance between CC and GB were mostly monosaccharides. This study provides information on the bioactive metabolites in CC, demonstrates the possibility of tailor-made coffee products from CC, and encourages further optimization of the production process of CC to enable development of sustainable, healthy coffee beverages for the future.

Original language	English
Article number	150497
Journal	Food Chemistry
Volume	525
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150497
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2026
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge Professor Kaisa Linderborg for her contribution to the conceptualization and acquisition of funds for this research work, Heikki Aisala for his support during sample collection and structuring of the research work, and Frukt Coffee Roasters Oy, Finland for providing the unroasted coffee beans samples. The authors would also like to thank the Research Council of Finland's research infrastructure funding (Decision No. 337980) and the European Union-NextGenerationEU instrument funding (RRF) for the FOODNUTRI National Infrastructure Network (Decision No. 345916).

Keywords

Bioactive compounds
Caffeine
Coffea arabica
Coffee cell culture
Diterpene
Lipidomics
Metabolomics

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title = "Differential accumulation of bioactive metabolites in coffee cell cultures in comparison to green coffee beans",

abstract = "Conventional coffee production faces sustainability challenges. Coffee cell cultures (CC) are a promising alternative coffee raw material. This study investigated the composition of CC in comparison to conventional green coffee beans (GB) using untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approaches. The lipid content (g/100 g) of GB was approximately four times higher than that of CC with triglycerides as the predominant lipid class identified followed by diterpenes. Additionally, differences were observed in the diterpene profiles of CC and GB. CC accumulated more thiamine and choline but lower contents of caffeine, trigonelline, and alpha-tocopherol compared to GB. The detected carbohydrates of statistical significance between CC and GB were mostly monosaccharides. This study provides information on the bioactive metabolites in CC, demonstrates the possibility of tailor-made coffee products from CC, and encourages further optimization of the production process of CC to enable development of sustainable, healthy coffee beverages for the future.",

keywords = "Bioactive compounds, Caffeine, Coffea arabica, Coffee cell culture, Diterpene, Lipidomics, Metabolomics",

author = "Priscilla Ollennu-Chuasam and Ville Koistinen and Heiko Rischer and Suomela, \{Jukka Pekka\}",

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T1 - Differential accumulation of bioactive metabolites in coffee cell cultures in comparison to green coffee beans

AU - Ollennu-Chuasam, Priscilla

AU - Koistinen, Ville

AU - Rischer, Heiko

AU - Suomela, Jukka Pekka

PY - 2026/10/1

Y1 - 2026/10/1

N2 - Conventional coffee production faces sustainability challenges. Coffee cell cultures (CC) are a promising alternative coffee raw material. This study investigated the composition of CC in comparison to conventional green coffee beans (GB) using untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approaches. The lipid content (g/100 g) of GB was approximately four times higher than that of CC with triglycerides as the predominant lipid class identified followed by diterpenes. Additionally, differences were observed in the diterpene profiles of CC and GB. CC accumulated more thiamine and choline but lower contents of caffeine, trigonelline, and alpha-tocopherol compared to GB. The detected carbohydrates of statistical significance between CC and GB were mostly monosaccharides. This study provides information on the bioactive metabolites in CC, demonstrates the possibility of tailor-made coffee products from CC, and encourages further optimization of the production process of CC to enable development of sustainable, healthy coffee beverages for the future.

AB - Conventional coffee production faces sustainability challenges. Coffee cell cultures (CC) are a promising alternative coffee raw material. This study investigated the composition of CC in comparison to conventional green coffee beans (GB) using untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approaches. The lipid content (g/100 g) of GB was approximately four times higher than that of CC with triglycerides as the predominant lipid class identified followed by diterpenes. Additionally, differences were observed in the diterpene profiles of CC and GB. CC accumulated more thiamine and choline but lower contents of caffeine, trigonelline, and alpha-tocopherol compared to GB. The detected carbohydrates of statistical significance between CC and GB were mostly monosaccharides. This study provides information on the bioactive metabolites in CC, demonstrates the possibility of tailor-made coffee products from CC, and encourages further optimization of the production process of CC to enable development of sustainable, healthy coffee beverages for the future.

KW - Bioactive compounds

KW - Caffeine

KW - Coffea arabica

KW - Coffee cell culture

KW - Diterpene

KW - Lipidomics

KW - Metabolomics

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105045521725

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VL - 525

JO - Food Chemistry

JF - Food Chemistry

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ER -

Differential accumulation of bioactive metabolites in coffee cell cultures in comparison to green coffee beans

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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