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  • Title: Identification and occurrence of the bioactive beta-carbolines norharman and harman in coffee brews.
    Author: Herraiz T.
    Journal: Food Addit Contam; 2002 Aug; 19(8):748-54. PubMed ID: 12227938.
    Abstract:
    Norharman and harman, two heterocyclic beta-carboline alkaloids with biological activity, were found in brewed coffee. Identification and analysis were carried out by HPLC-MS and RP-HPLC-fluorescence, respectively. All tested samples of brewed coffee including ground coffee, decaffeinated coffee, instant coffee and espresso contained both norharman and harman in variable amounts. Norharman was the major beta-carboline alkaloid in brewed coffee at levels up to 9.34 microg g(-1) in instant ground coffee compared with harman, which had levels up to 1.67 microg g(-1). The two beta-carbolines appeared to be formed during roasting of the coffee beans. It is concluded that drinking coffee is a major exogenous dietary source of these bioactive beta-carboline alkaloids previously reported as mild psychoactive compounds in animal studies and in vitro co-mutagens. These results support our previous conclusion that foods containing beta-carbolines are an important exogenous source of these alkaloids in humans.
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