Page 7 - Shimadzu Journal vol.3 Issue2

Metabolomics

Application of GC/MS and GC/FID-based metabolomics
for authentication of Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak)

Adapted with permission from Selection of Discriminant Markers for Authentication of Asian Palm Civet Coffee (Kopi Luwak): A Metabolomics
Approach . Copyright 2013. American Chemical Society and with permission from Application of gas chromatography/flame ionization detector-based
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metabolite fingerprinting for authentication of Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak) . Copyright 2015. Society for Biotechnology Japan.
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Sastia P. Putri , Udi Jumhawan and Eiichiro Fukusaki 1
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1 Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
Abstract
Kopi Luwak, world’s most expensive coffee firstly originated from Indonesia, is made from coffee berries that have been digested by the
animal Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hemaphroditus). Despite its profitable prospect, there is no reliable and standardized method for
determining its authenticity. Therefore, research on the development of robust method for authentication of Kopi Luwak is urgently
needed, particularly to prevent fraud in market worldwide. Twenty-one coffee samples (Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora) of three
cultivation areas were firstly analyzed by GC-Q/MS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Projection to Latent
Structures-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) and Significance Analysis of Microarrays/Metabolites (SAM) of Kopi Luwak was employed to
select discrimination marker candidates for authentication of Kopi Luwak. Applicability of discriminant marker candidates was verified
using commercial samples. We further established a rapid, reliable and cost-effective analysis employing a universal detector, GC coupled
with flame ionization detector (FID) for discrimination analysis of 37 commercial and non-commercial coffee beans extracts. Our study
demonstrated that GC/FID-based metabolite fingerprinting can be effectively actualized as an alternative method for coffee authenticity
screening in industries.

Keywords: Metabolomics; Coffee; Kopi Luwak; Discriminant marker; Authentication; GCMS-QP 2010 Ultra; GC-FID; GC-2010

1. Introduction
The world’s most expensive and unique coffee is Kopi Luwak (Kopi Despite its profitable prospect, there is no reliable and
is an Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is the animal standardized method for determining originality of Kopi Luwak.
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producing it), one of Indonesia’s exotic agricultural products . The limited availability of the authentic product and its increasing
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Marketed with a price tag of 300-400 USD per kg , Kopi Luwak’s popularity has opened the possibility of adulteration by blending
high selling price is attributed to its rarity, unique flavor, and Kopi Luwak with regular coffee or in vitro enzymatic treatment of
interesting production process. Kopi Luwak is made from coffee regular coffee beans to mimic the fermentation by civet in order
cherries that have been eaten by common palm civets (Luwak or to increase the production and to meet market demand. This
Paradoxurus hemaphroditus), which use their keen sense of smell poses serious concern among consumers over the authenticity and
to select the best and ripest beans. Kopi Luwak’s high quality is the quality of the products currently available in the market.
mainly contributed by two factors: natural selection of the best Therefore, research on the development of an unbiased and
coffee cherries by luwak and changes that occur in the digestive reproducible method for Kopi Luwak authentication and
track of luwak, which yield an aromatic coffee with flavor discrimination is urgently needed, particularly to prevent fraud in
described as earthy, syrupy, musty, smooth, and rich with Kopi Luwak market worldwide.
chocolate undertones .
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