Cafestol | Neuroprotective

Cafestol (469-83-0) is a bioactive diterpene found in coffee.¹ It displays a number of interesting protective effects including stimulation of glutathione S-transferase activity¹, and protection against aflatoxin-induced genotoxicity². It produces neuroprotective effects in Drosophila models of Parkinson’s disease³ and in other models⁴. In humans cafestol raises serum cholesterol and acts as an agonist at farnesoid and pregnane X receptors.⁵

References/Citations:

1. Lam et al. (1982), Isolation and identification of kahweol palmitate and cafestol palmitate as active constituents of green coffee beans that enhance glutathione S-transferase activity in the mouse; Cancer Res. 42 1193
2. Cavin et al. (1998), The coffee-specific diterpenes cafestol and kahweol protect against aflatoxin B1-induced genotoxicity through a dual mechanism; Carcinogenesis 19 1369
3. Trinh et al. (2010), Decaffeinated coffee and nicotine-free tobacco provide neuroprotection in Drosophila models of Parkinson’s disease through an NRF2-dependent mechanism; J. Neurosci. 30 5525
4. Socala et al. (2020), Neuroprotective Effects of Coffee Bioactive Compounds: A Review; Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22 107
5. Ricketts et al. (2007), The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans, cafestol, as an agonist ligand for the farnesoid and pregnane X receptors; Mol. Endocrinol. 21 1603