Quantitation of β N-Alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides in Coffee by Means of LC-MS/MS-SIDA and Assessment of Their Gastric Acid Secretion Potential Using the HGT-1 Cell Assay

A straightforward stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) for the reliable quantitative determination of β N-C18:0- to β N-C24:0-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides (C5HTs) in coffee powder and beverages by means of LC-MS/MS was developed. The developed SIDA showing accuracy values of 92.6−107% and precision between 0.5 and 7% relative standard deviation for the individual derivatives allowed the sensitive and selective quantification of the target compounds in coffee beverages. Depending on the type of coffee, quantitation revealed C5HT levels between 65 and 144 μg/L in filtered coffee and up to 3500 μg/L in a French press beverage, thus indicating that about 0.3 or 7.2% of the C5HTs were extracted from the coffee powder into the beverage when using the cellulose filter method or the French press, respectively. To estimate the potential contribution of the C5HTs to the phenomenon of stomach irritation after ingestion of coffee brew, in vitro cell studies were performed with pure individual 5-hydroxytryptamides and a mixture of the predominating derivatives in ratios matching those found in coffee. All substances tested induced a decrease in the intracellular proton index (IPX) coined as an indicator of stomach acid secretion. While the biomimetic C5HT mixture was highest in its inducing effect, the individual stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid 5-hydroxytryptamide did not differ significantly from each other, but showed a less pronounced effect compared to arachinic acid 5-hydroxytryptamide. In conclusion, not the grade of saturation seems to determine the C5HT’s mode of action in driving the stomach acid secretion, rather than the fatty acid chain length.