Proposal for quantifying the oil content of coffee fruits at different stages of maturity using benchtop magnetic resonance imaging equipment

• Grant number: 25/07680-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Bueno de Moraes
• Grantee: Vinicius Silva Paiva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Green coffee oil is a high-value raw material that has been increasingly used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The unique characteristics of the oils present in coffee fruits are attributed to the concentration of kaurane skeleton diterpenes, such as cafestol and kaeol. Due to the increasing value of the product, there is significant interest in non-destructive and efficient methods for quantifying the oil content in coffee fruits, in order to optimize the decision-making process regarding whether the fruit will be used for the production of green coffee oil or conventional roasting in the production of coffee powder. Thus, the objective of this research project is to develop an analysis protocol for quantifying the oil content of Arabica coffee fruits (Coffea arabica L.) at different stages of maturity, of different varieties, and collected from different positions of the plant canopy. To this end, an analysis protocol will be developed using low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, which will allow the investigation of these oil contents with fast, accurate and non-destructive analyses. The quantity and quality of oils in the fruits are altered by several factors during the production stages, so this research project will advance towards a better understanding of these factors, enabling the optimization of the production of high-quality green coffee oil or coffee powder.