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China Surfactant Detergent & Cosmetics ›› 2026, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (4): 463-470.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2097-2806.2026.04.006

• Basic research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Extraction of polyphenols from spent coffee grounds and their antioxidant activity

Jialin Liu1,2,Meng Li1,Xiao Ning2,*(),Jin Cao2   

  1. 1 College of Light Industry Science and Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
    2 National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 100050, China
  • Received:2025-06-27 Revised:2026-04-14 Online:2026-04-22 Published:2026-05-27
  • Contact: * E-mail: 506612164@qq.com.

Abstract:

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the recovery of polyphenols from spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a typical by-product of the coffee industry. Extraction temperature, time, and liquid-to-solid ratio were investigated as major variables. The optimal conditions are determined to be 49 ℃, 25 min, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 29∶1 (mL/g). Under these conditions, the total polyphenol yield reaches 16.71 mg GAE/g DW, which closely matches the predicted value of 16.75 mg GAE/g DW, thereby verifying the accuracy of the model. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and PTIO radical scavenging assays. At a volume fraction of 4%, the UAE extract shows a DPPH scavenging rate of 99.38%, which is higher than that of the water extract. In the PTIO assay, the UAE extract shows a scavenging rate of 27.86% at a volume fraction of 80%, whereas the water extract reaches 36.19% at 100%. Moreover, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) identifies chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, and protocatechuic acid as the major phenolic compounds, confirming the chemical basis of the antioxidant effect. These findings demonstrate that UAE not only enhances the extraction efficiency of polyphenols from SCGs but also yields extracts with strong antioxidant activity. The study provides technical support and scientific evidence for the valorization of coffee by-products as natural antioxidants, highlighting their potential application in skincare formulations and daily chemical products.

Key words: spent coffee grounds, ultrasound-assisted extraction, polyphenols, response surface optimization, antioxidant activity

CLC Number: 

  • TQ658