chlorogenic acid

[klawr-uh-jen-ik, klohr-, klawr-, klohr-]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a colorless crystalline acid, C 16 H 18 O 9 , that is important in plant metabolism and is purportedly responsible for the browning or blackening of cut apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlorogenic acid¹

1885–90; chloro- ¹ + -genic; so named because in an ammonia solution it turns green when exposed to air

Example Sentences

They found that the folding of milk proteins was unaltered by the presence of caffeine in these beverages, even in the cappuccino, which contained components extracted from the coffee grounds, such as chlorogenic acid.

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Marilyn C. Cornelis, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University and an expert on coffee, tea and caffeine metabolism, says this could be due to coffee’s large concentration of chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol that’s been shown in some studies to improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.

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While tea does not contain chlorogenic acid, it does have other plant compounds that are thought to be beneficial for blood sugar control.

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Soon a tomato without chlorogenic acid was in her lab.

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She was somewhat skeptical, but, she told him, “I would quite like a tomato that produces no chlorogenic acid,” a substance thought to have health benefits; tomatoes without it had not been found before.

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