Estrogenic activity of capsule coffee using the VM7Luc4E2 assay

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Food Safety
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Coffee capsule machines utilize plastic components, raising concerns about potential chemical leaching.
• Estrogenic chemicals in plastics may migrate into beverages, posing health risks.
• The estrogenic activity of capsule coffee has not been previously evaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the estrogenic activity of coffee brewed from capsule machines.
• To identify and quantify estrogenic chemicals present in capsule coffee.
• To assess the relative estrogenic potency of capsule coffee compared to estradiol.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the VM7Luc4E2 estrogen receptor transcriptional activation assay to measure estrogenic activity.
• Calculated estrogenic potentials using relative maximum amplitude response (RME2) and estradiol equivalent factor (EEF).
• Employed ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UP-LC-MS/MS) for chemical analysis.

Main Results:

• All six tested capsule coffee samples demonstrated estrogenic activity, with RME2 values between 48-56%.
• Identified and quantified Bisphenol A, Bisphenol F, benzophenone, 4-nonylphenol, dibutyl phthalate, and dimethyl terephthalate.
• Estrogenic equivalent factors (EEFs) were significantly lower than estradiol (1.2 × 10^-7–1.7 × 10^-6), indicating weaker potencies.

Conclusions:

• Capsule coffee exhibits measurable estrogenic activity in vitro.
• The presence of identified estrogenic chemicals likely contributes to the observed estrogenicity.
• Further investigation is warranted to correlate chemical concentrations with estrogenic potential and assess health implications.