HISTOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF COFFEA
BENGHALENSIS B. HEYNE EX SCHULT., COMPARED WITH
COFFEA ARABICA L.
ÉVA BRIGITTA PATAY1*, TIBOR NÉMETH2, TIBOR SEBASTIAN NÉMETH2, RITA FILEP1,3, LAURIAN VLASE4, NÓRA PAPP1
1Institute of Pharmacognosy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Rókus 2, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary
2Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Square 1 Decembrie 10, 410073,
Oradea, Romania
3Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Pécs, Ifjúság 6, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary
4Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of
Medicine and Pharmacy, 12 Ion Creanga Street, 400010, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
*corresponding author: eva.patay@gmail.com
Download Full Article

Abstract:
Coffea benghalensis B. Heyne ex Schult. as a wild Indian coffee species, has been rarely studied and applied in the industry
nowadays. In this work, histological characters of the leaf and petiole, and polyphenolic compounds of the leaf, immature
pericarp and seed were studied by LC/MS, and compared with C. arabica as a control species. The epidermis of the leaf and
petiole of C. benghalensis is covered by cuticle. The leaf consists of a heterogeneous mesophyll with intercellular, palisade
and spongy cells, and collateral closed bundles. These are surrounded by sclerenchyma in the petiole. Compared with Arabic
coffee, the cuticle was thicker; epidermis and spongy cells smaller, and palisade cells were longer in the leaf of Bengal
coffee. In the petiole, the central bundle continues into 2 small bundles in contrast to the six ones in the Arabic coffee. Five
phenolic acids were identified in the leaf, immature pericarp and seed, and 4 flavonols in the leaf and pericarp. Chlorogenic
acid was dominant in the non-hydrolysed seed extract, while caffeic acid in the hydrolysed extract, and isoquercitrin and rutin
in the non-hydrolysed extract of the leaf. All compounds were represented at a low level in the immature pericarp.
Chlorogenic, ferulic, p-coumaric and sinapic acid occur in larger amounts in the leaf and seed of C. arabica. Flavonols were
documented at a higher level in the leaf of Bengal than of Arabic coffee. These preliminary results highlight the importance
of study of coffee species.

Top