Chlorogenic acid. Features and biochemical properties

Coffee is loved by most people for their taste and tonic effect, but little is known that the essential part of this extremely popular beverage is the chlorogenic acid that enters it. The properties of this chemical compound in many ways form a range of rich aroma and exquisite taste, which so admire his numerous admirers. In addition, this substance, as the latest scientific studies say, brings a lot of biological and physiological dividends to our body. However, about everything in order.

From the point of view of organic chemistry, chlorogenic acid is a de-cid with esterified caffeine hydroxyl, which stands at the third carbon atom of quinic acid. Such a chemical compound is present in many plants, but the most important is precisely in coffee beans because of their extreme prevalence. They contain about seven percent of chlorogenic acid. Recently it has been established that a good source of this substance can serve as leaves of the eucommia - a deciduous tree, reaching a height of twenty meters.

Chlorogenic acid performs an important function in the enzymatic and oxidative processes of various plant cells. But it also brings a lot of benefits to our body. Chlorogenic acid, effectively and safely burning fats, contributes to the acquisition of a slender figure. In addition, this chemical compound improves the metabolic processes in the liver, which performs an important function for the cleavage of all fats that enter our body. Chlorogenic acid also works as a specific regulator of blood sugar levels.

It is this acid that is capable of accelerating the conversion of excess fat reserves into clean energy, which is especially important for people who are trying to lose weight. Another useful quality of this substance is its ability to slow down the process of digesting carbohydrates, which can also be deposited on the problem areas of the body (thighs, abdomen, sides) in the form of a fat layer.

Chlorogenic acid was first discovered by the Russian botanist and public figure ASFamintsin in 1893 on the slices of sunflower cotyledons by means of a qualitative microchemical reaction. The wide distribution of this chemical compound among higher plants (it was found in 98 of the 230 samples studied) attracted the close attention of scientists who began to study its biological role in the life and development of plant organisms.

Thus, it was found that chlorogenic acid (it can be purchased in pure synthesized form, in which it is a white crystalline powder), takes an active part in the regulation of fetal maturation, acting as an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation. It is also known that this chemical compound is extremely toxic to certain species of pathogenic microorganisms that cause a variety of different plant diseases. For example, in rice, the increase in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid serves as a natural response to microbial infections.

Not so long ago, an important medical discovery was made by Chinese scientists. After a series of studies, they found out that this biologically active substance, due to its unique ability to block toxic proteins, could eventually become the basis of a drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus.