Upcycling coffee: Experts flag compound may protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases

23 Nov 2023 --- Researchers suggest that Caffeic-Acid Carbon Quantum Dots (CACQDs) derived from used coffee grounds may protect the brain cells from the damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.

“Caffeic acid is known to penetrate the blood-brain barrier,” Dr. Mahesh Narayan, chemistry and biochemistry professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, US and co-author of the study, tells Nutrition Insight. 

“This is key since the intervention site is the brain and specific neuronal domains. We have capitalized on this property of caffeic acid to develop CACQDs with added free radical scavenging potential, which can prevent the soluble-to-toxic transformation of a model amyloid-forming protein, and can easily be further chemically tuned.”

The study published in the Environmental Research journal reveals that CACQDs exhibit these properties when the neurodegenerative disease is triggered by factors such as obesity, age and exposure to pesticides and other toxic chemicals.

Coffee grounds’ CACQDs could protect the brain from neurodegenerative damage.Protecting the brain
Neurodegenerative diseases are caused by the loss of neurons and other brain cells, which can lead to elevated levels of free radicals in the brain and a decreased ability to perform functions such as movement, speech, bladder and bowel control and a broad range of cognitive abilities. 

“Elevated levels of free radicals in the brain are associated with factors like obesity, age and exposure to environmental toxins. CACQDs, via their sp2 hybridized chemical architectures, possess free radical scavenging properties and hence are neuroprotective,” Narayan explains.

The team of scientists determined the neuroprotective properties of CACQDs through test tube experiments, cell lines and other models of Parkinson’s caused by the pesticide paraquat. CACQDs were observed to remove free radicals and prevent them from causing damage without causing any side effects.

Caffeic acid is a polyphenol, the plant-based compound is known as an antioxidant with free radical-scavenging properties. Its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier allows it to affect cells inside the brain.

“In sporadic and idiopathic forms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, free radicals play a role in the onset and progress of pathology. Our CACQDs are likely to be successful therein. Huntington’s is familial (genetic). Therefore, in the case of Huntington’s and around 5% of familial Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, our CACQDs are less likely to be effective,” Narayan continues.

“Nevertheless, we still need to evaluate whether they can intervene in preventing the misfolding of mutant huntingtin protein, which would then make them effective against Huntington’s as well.”

Speaking about how early in the progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s it is most optimal to begin this treatment, Narayan says, “The earlier, the better. Prevention is always better than cure.”  

“Any current treatments that can address advanced symptoms of neurodegenerative disease are simply beyond the means of most people. Our aim is to come up with a solution that can prevent most cases of these conditions at a cost that is manageable for as many patients as possible.”

Elevated levels of free radicals in the brain often lead to decreased ability to perform a broad range of cognitive abilities.Green energy  
Narayan and his team of researchers refer to the environmentally friendly and sustainable process they used to extract CACQDs from used coffee grounds as “green chemistry.” 

“CACQDs are not extracted but synthesized by ‘cooking.’ Essentially, we take caffeic acid and put it at a high temperature (200°C for 4 hours) in an autoclave, a Teflon lined, stainless steel ‘thermos’ or reactor. No organic solvents, no extreme conditions and the raw material is a biowaste (used coffee grounds, for example).”

The research findings could potentially lead to the development of a pill that can prevent some neurodegenerative disorders caused by non-genetic factors, Narayan and his team suggest, while acknowledging that this prospective might be far off. 

“The next milestone is to test CACQDs in a vertebrate model (such as in rodents) of idiopathic and sporadic neurodegenerative pathology. Such models, while still somewhat removed, are closer to human physiology,” he says. 

Novel research into neurodegenerative diseases has also found that alpha-synuclein protein can prevent the tangling of brain protein linked to Parkinson’s and other similar diseases. 

The compounds isolated from the lion’s mane mushroom used in Traditional Chinese Medicine have also been shown to promote brain cell growth and memory and could thus potentially treat and protect against neurodegenerative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, recent studies outline that Alzheimer’s symptoms could be managed and improved through behavioral changes like intermediate fasting. 

By Milana Nikolova