Optimising the roasting and extraction process applied to cascara products oriented for use by people with diabetes

This research aims to utilise the tonnes of coffee pulp discharged annually from Vietnam’s Robusta coffee industry. Cascara, a by-product obtained after the coffee beans have been separated, has a high nutrient content and the potential to be used as a raw material in the food industry. However, coffee pulps are often discarded or used as agricultural waste. This study explored the optimisation of roasting and extraction conditions for Cascara using response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain healthier products enriched in total polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The ideal conditions identified by the optimisation process include a roast temperature of 130.798°C, a roast time of 226.153 seconds, a solvent-to-material ratio of 1:38.007, an extraction temperature of 71.581°C, and an extraction time of 46.916 minutes. Additionally, the extract from Cascara tea inhibited the digestive enzyme activity of α-glucosidase, with an IC50 value of 99.18 µg/ml. Our research results indicate the potential of using Cascara as a valuable resource for extracting natural antioxidants, especially in products targeted at individuals with type 2 diabetes.