Analysis of Bioactive Compounds and Characterization of Coffee Aroma by Using Mass Spectrometry

It is our privilege and pleasure to announce this special issue. The consumption of coffee, one of the most common hot drinks in the world, is continually increasing and, according to the latest statistics from international organizations, about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day are consumed worldwide. More and more researchers are focusing their attention on the relation between coffee and health, through the analysis of bioactive coffee constituents. Understanding this relation is complicated by the fact that coffee contains many compounds, some of which are well known and present in high amount such as caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and others. However, several hundred of other compounds and their derivatives are also present in coffee. They are identified and quantified both in the coffee beans themselves or in the brew. Moreover, coffee displayed a peculiar aroma profile and several hundred volatile compounds have been reported as constituents of coffee. The aroma profile is strictly linked to the final sensorial quality of coffee, which, in fact, is principally consumed for its pleasant aroma directly estimated through the nostrils. Mass spectrometry has attained a unique position as a quantitative analysis tool especially when coupled with high-resolution separation devices and thus is widely used for coffee analysis too. In fact it yields highly sensitive, specific, fast, robust, and validated methods that are fundamental tools in food science and technology. This technique is widely used also for the characterization of coffee aroma profile. Therefore, we would like to invite you to contribute an original manuscript as well as review article to this special issue entitled to improve the knowledge on constituents and composition of coffee.Set-up and development of analytical methods for the quantification of bioactive compounds in coffee.