Factors influencing the norharman and harman contents in espresso coffee

Espresso coffee (EC) brews were analyzed for beta-carboline [norharman (NH) and harman (H)] contents, by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection. The influence of the coffee species (arabica or robusta), the roast degree, and the brew length was studied. The results show that the content of NH and H in EC is dependent primarily on the coffee species, followed by brew length. The roast degree has only a minor influence on the final content of NH and H in EC. When compared with other coffee brews, EC has an amount of these beta-carbolines (in micrograms per liter) similar to that of mocha coffee, both being more concentrated than filter and press-pot coffees. Therefore, the consumer's preferences will determine the amount of NH and H ingested daily. For the caffeinated 30 mL of EC, the arabica coffees contain about 4.08 mu g of NH and 1.54 mu g of H. Commercial blends (usually with a maximum of 30% robusta) range from the cited arabica values to 10.37 mu g of NH and 4.35 mu g of H.