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Compound Monograph

Chlorogenic acid

Chlorogenic acid — the caffeic acid ester of quinic acid and the principal polyphenol of coffee, best characterised as an antioxidant with effects on blood pressure and glucose metabolism.

Work in progress

Classification

Chlorogenic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid (phenolic acid), part of the phenolics class. Antioxidant compounds built around one or more phenol rings — the flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, coumarins, and pigments behind much of a plant's protective chemistry.

Phenolics Phenolic Acids

Where Does It Come From? (28)

Chlorogenic acid is a naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid (phenolic acid), found in Globe Artichoke, Calendula, Cat's Claw and 25 other sources. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).

Burdock Arctium lappa Calamus Acorus calamus Calendula Calendula officinalis Cat's Claw Uncaria tomentosa Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum morifolium Coffee Coffea arabica Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Cornflower Centaurea cyanus Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Eleuthero Root Eleutherococcus senticosus Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus Goldenrod Solidago virgaurea Green coffee beanGreen coffee beans Guamura Cecropia mexicana Hawthorn Crataegus oxyacantha Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus Many fruits and vegetables Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca Raspberry Leaf Rubus idaeus Samambaia Polypodium leucotomos Sarsaparilla Smilax spp. Stevia Stevia rebaudiana Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Sunflower seed Yarrow Achillea millefolium Yerba Maté Ilex paraguariensis

Research & Evidence

Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic acid — specifically an ester formed between caffeic acid and L-quinic acid — and is the dominant polyphenol of coffee, where green (unroasted) beans are an especially rich source. It is the most thoroughly characterised of the phenolic acids in this database, largely through the coffee literature.

  • Antioxidant — chlorogenic acid is the main phenolic compound in coffee and a major contributor to its well-documented antioxidant capacity.
  • Blood pressure / vascular function — chlorogenic acids are described as potent antioxidants that improve endothelial and vascular function through increased availability of nitric oxide 2Reference 2Chrysant · 2015Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular HealthView study →, and their antihypertensive effects and mechanisms have been reviewed 1Reference 1Zhao Y et al. · 2012Antihypertensive effects and mechanisms of chlorogenic acids.
  • Glucose metabolism — in globe artichoke, the chlorogenic acid content is credited with helping regulate blood glucose through inhibition of glucose-6-phosphatase 4Reference 4Roberta Dosi et al. · 2013Nutritional and metabolic profiling of the globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L. ‘Capuanella’ heads) in province of Caserta, Italy. A chlorogenic-acid-enriched coffee was also studied for its effect on glucose absorption and body mass 3Reference 3Thom E · 2007The effect of chlorogenic acid enriched coffee on glucose absorption in healthy volunteers and its effect on body mass when used long-term in overweight and obese people, and chlorogenic acid is thought to contribute to coffee’s effects on weight and satiety 3Reference 3Thom E · 2007The effect of chlorogenic acid enriched coffee on glucose absorption in healthy volunteers and its effect on body mass when used long-term in overweight and obese people.
  • Constituent of other herbs — chlorogenic acid is reported in cat’s claw, eleuthero, stinging nettle, calendula, sarsaparilla, stevia and yerba maté; in yerba maté it is a notably abundant constituent and has been linked to that herb’s effects on glucose metabolism. Its biosynthesis in artichoke has also been studied directly 5Reference 5Gabriella Sonnante et al. · 2010Novel Hydroxycinnamoyl-Coenzyme A Quinate Transferase Genes from Artichoke Are Involved in the Synthesis of Chlorogenic Acid.

Toxicity & Safety

Chlorogenic acid is a common dietary phenolic acid — consumed in large quantities by coffee drinkers — and is well tolerated; none of the source herb monographs flag it as toxic. Practical cautions belong to the herbs and beverages that contain it (for example the caffeine in coffee and yerba maté) rather than to chlorogenic acid itself. The source material does not describe an isolated-compound toxicity or interaction profile.

References

  1. Zhao Y, Wang J, Ballevre O, Luo H, Zhang W. (2012). Antihypertensive effects and mechanisms of chlorogenic acids. Hypertension Research, 35, 370–374.
  2. Chrysant, S. G. (2015). Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular Health. The American Journal of Cardiology, 116(5), 818-821. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.05.057
  3. Thom E. (2007). The effect of chlorogenic acid enriched coffee on glucose absorption in healthy volunteers and its effect on body mass when used long-term in overweight and obese people. Journal of International Medical Research, 35, 900–908.
  4. Roberta Dosi, Addolorata Daniele, Vincenzo Guida, Luigia Ferrara, Valeria Severino, Antimo Di Maro. (2013). Nutritional and metabolic profiling of the globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L. ‘Capuanella’ heads) in province of Caserta, Italy. Australian Journal of Crop Science, 17(12), 1923-1934.
  5. Gabriella Sonnante, Rosalinda D’Amore, Emanuela Blanco, Ciro L. Pierri, Monica De Palma, Jie Luo, Marina Tucci, and Cathie Martin. (2010). Novel Hydroxycinnamoyl-Coenzyme A Quinate Transferase Genes from Artichoke Are Involved in the Synthesis of Chlorogenic Acid. Plant Physiology, 153, 1224–1238.