Stimulatory Effect of Whole Coffee Fruit Concentrate Powder on Plasma Levels of Total and Exosomal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Healthy Subjects: An Acute Within-Subject Clinical Study

A pilot study by Reyes [1] previously showed that ingestion of single dose of whole coffee fruit concentrate (WCFC) powder increased blood levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the first 60 minutes after ingestion. In the present report, we performed a single dose, placebo-controlled, within-subject study to confirm and further investigate this effect. Twenty healthy subjects with ages ranging from 25 to 35 participated in this study. All fasted and resting subjects received placebo on Day 1, WCFC on Day 2, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee on Day 3. Treatment with WCFC resulted in a statistically significant increase in plasma BDNF compared to placebo (p = 0.0073) or coffee (p = 0.0219) during first 60 minutes. In addition, e isolated exosomes from serum and found that they contained BDNF. Furthermore, oral WCFC consumption acutely increased BDNF levels in serum exosomes. In summary, all presented results justify further clinical investigation of WCFC as a tool to manage BDNF-dependent health conditions.