Comprehensive analysis of quality characteristics in main commercial coffee varieties and wild Arabica in Kenya

Coffee flavor is a complex commercial trait and its generation mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we investigated non-volatile and volatile compounds in the AA grade coffee beans of cultivated and wild Coffea arabica accessions in Kenya. An increased accumulation of trigonelline and sucrose along with a decreased accumulation of caffeine and 5-caffeoylquinic acid or chlorogenic acid (CGA) relative to wild Arabica contribute to the improved flavor of commercial varieties. Trigonelline was strongly associated with attributes of coffee brews such as pH, aroma intensity and antioxidant activity, suggesting that it is one of the main flavor precursors. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) identified 18 volatiles that could potentially define flavor quality of coffee brews, with pyrazines and thiols as the major coffee flavor determinants.