Changes in caffeine content during fruit development in Coffea canephora P. ex. Fr. grown at different elevations

Caffeine is an important purine alkaloid of methyl xanthine family present in beans of coffee. Caffeine
content was determined in developing fruits of robusta coffee plant (Coffea canephora), that collected from
plants grown at different elevations to find out the influence of altitude on caffeine content. Caffeine levels
were analysed by performing High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Caffeine content was
found always more at all stages of coffee fruit ontogeny from plants grown at low elevations. The proportion
of increase in caffeine content was more from the stage II (4 months) to stage III (5 months). Maximum
caffeine content of 1.868 ± 0.149 g/100 g dry weight was evident in stage V seeds (9 months) of low altitude
collected samples. There was a 32% reduction in caffeine content of beans from plants grown at high
elevations.