Nov 6, 2023

Envato Elements Do you drink coffee every day? Have you ever imagined what it would be like if the leaf could help treat Parkinson’s disease? A study has just revealed that coffee leaves, an often discarded byproduct, can be used medicinally. Researchers from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), in Brazil, analyzed the leaves of the plant and found the compound Levodopa (L-DOPA)already used to delay the effects of neurodegenerative disease. According to the statement from the Brazilian university, the most interesting thing was that they realized that the potential use of coffee plants is precisely in sheetsan unused part normally discarded in commercial production. In this research, scientists investigated two species of coffee: Coffea arabica e Coffea canephora. In both cases, it was possible to identify the enzymes Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) e a DOPA descarboxilase (DDC), related to the production of the compound Levodopa (L-DOPA), used against Parkinson’s disease. “It is possible that younger foliage presents high concentrations of L-DOPA, considering the potential greater PPO activity found in these leaves”, reads the scientific article published no. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. In addition to enzymes, other compounds of medicinal importance were also observed in coffee leaves, so in the future it will be possible to better understand their effect in combating Parkinson’s or, potentially, other dementias. Therefore, new studies with animal models and tests with humans will be necessary to determine how this discovery in coffee leaves can help combat or even prevent the disease. Even so, scientists recommend ingesting coffee leaf tea “as an invaluable source of nutrients, as long as phytosanitary measures have been taken to ensure that the leaves are free from possible pesticides”.