Influence of Altitude Variation on Trigonelline Content during Ontogeny of Coffea Canephora Fruit

Trigonelline is a nicotinic acid related alkaloid abundant in coffee beans. The influence of altitude variations on trigonelline and its precursor nicotinic acid content of beans of Robusta coffee plants that collected from different elevations were investigated. Both nicotinic acid and trigonelline contents were always higher at all stages of coffee fruit ontogeny from plants grown at higher elevations. Maximum nicotinic acid and trigonelline content of 5.164 ± 0.131 mg and 975.8 ± 7.24 m g/100 g Fresh weight respectively was evident in stage V seeds (9 months DAF) of high altitude collected samples.