Screening for 16-O-methylcafestol in roasted coffee by high-performance thin-layer chromatography-fluorescence detection - Determination of Coffea canephora admixtures to Coffea arabica

16-O-Methylcafestol (16-OMC), the characteristic diterpene exclusively present in Coffea canephora, is an excellent marker for Coffea canephora admixtures to Coffea arabica. Here we show a straightforward, selective and sensitive screening method for the determination of 16-OMC in roasted coffee by high-performance thin-layer chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPTLC-FLD). As internal standard, Sudan IV was used, and a direct saponification with 10% ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution was followed by solid supported liquid extraction with petroleum ether. 16-OMC was selectively derivatized with 2-naphthoyl chloride and analyzed by HPTLC-FLD on silica gel plates with cyclohexane/tert-butyl methyl ether/formic acid (86:14:2, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The enhanced fluorescence was scanned at UV 244/ > 320 nm. Limits of detection and quantitation of 5 and 14 mg 16-OMC/kg coffee allowed the determination of Coffea canephora admixtures to Coffea arabica below 1%. Recoveries for blends of Coffea arabica with Coffea canephora were close to 100%.