Estudios de quimiotaxonomía en cultivares de Coffea arabica L.

Abstract

Flavonoids were analysed in fourteen cultivars of C. arabica in order to establish additional information for their characterization. The flavonoid types were used to study the genetic relationship among the most important cultivars of this economically valuable species. Forty seven different flavonoids were identified but only thirteen occurred in all cultivars studied. The comparative data rends support to previous information that Mokka and Caturra Vermelbo were major gene mutations which occurred in Bourbon Vermelho. The cultivated varieties on the other hand revealed characteristics which indicate their hybrid origin. Selections from India were shown to be closely related to the Arabica cultivar despite of the fact of being obtained from advanced populations of a cross between C. arabica and C. liberica. Four flavonoids were shown to occur exclusively in cuttivars selected in indigeneous coffee population of Ethiopia. The flavonoids studies reported in the present paper provided additional data about some of coffee cultivars whose origin was unkown.