ABSTRACT
Coffee is known to contain acrylamide, a carcinogenic substance, that will lead to changes in the chemical structure of DNA, resulting in the degeneration of brain cells. It also contains caffeine, melanoidin, chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids that have been predicted to improve memory function. Objective: to evaluate the effect of steeping robusta coffee (Coffea canephora var. robusta) on memory function using the Morris water maze test and on histopathological changes of brain cells in male rats (Rattus norvegicus). Methods: this research is a true experiment with the posttest only control group design. The samples were divided into five groups. Group 1 received no treatment (normal control); groups II, III, IV, and V received steeping robusta coffee (Coffea canephora var. robusta) at different doses (0.36 ml, 0.72 ml, 1.44 ml, and 2.16 ml) for 28 days. Results: for memory function, the one-way ANOVA test showed significant effects (sig = 0.000, p < 0.05). Tukey’s test showed a significant value of p < 0.05 in the groups treated with doses of 0.36 ml, 0.72 ml, 1.44 ml, and 2.16 ml, which differed significantly from the normal control group, but the group treated with the dose of 0.36 ml was not significantly different from the negative control group. Pearson’s correlation test showed a value of 0.953, which means that when a higher dose of steeping robusta coffee is given, a higher time is required to find a hidden platform. For histopathological changes, the one-way ANOVA test showed p < 0.05, which means that there is a significant effect. Tukey’s test showed a significant value of p <0.05 in the treatment group. The strength of the relationship shows that steeping robusta coffee increases the number of edema cells in the brain (92.2%). Conclusion: steeping robusta coffee can cause a decrease in the memory function and histopathological changes of brain cells in male rats.
Keywords: Acrylamide, coffee robusta, memory function, brain cells
