ABSTRACT
Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites generally involved in plant adaptation to environmental stress conditions found in plant-based foods and beverages. Chlorogenic acids and related compounds are the main components of the phenolic fraction of all parts of the coffee plant, although at different proportions. Additional phenolic compounds in different parts of the plant include flavonoids and xanthones. Phenolic compounds are ubiquitous constituents of higher plants found in a wide range of commonly consumed plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, and legumes, and in beverages of plant origin, such as wine, Camellia sinensis teas, mate tea, and coffee. Traditionally, coffee fruit harvesting methods can be classified as manual, semi-mechanized, and mechanized. In manual harvesting, the fruits can be selectively collected or stripped from the branches. The flower of the coffee tree is crucial for the quantity and quality of the fruits because it helps in pollination and, consequently, in production.
