COMAPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CAFFEINE CONTENT IN BITTER KOLA AND KOLANUT

Table 1 show the absorbance of the various concentrations of pure caffeine. Table 2 gives the concentration of caffeine in the two varieties of Kola nut and Bitter Kola. Kolanut had the highest concentration of caffeine content with about 1.150mg/L whereas that of Bitter Kola is just is 0.184mg/L. In terms of percentage caffeine content, Figure 2 shows the samples of Kola nitida, Bitter kola, to be 46.0, and 7.4, and respectively. The amount of caffeine in the experimental samples varied according to the type of product and possibly the method of preparation. The percentage composition of caffeine in Kolanut in this study was very high when compared to the values reported by Okoli, et al. (2012). Yalwa and Bello (2017), had a caffeine content of 2.4 %.Similar studies by Komes et al., (2009); and Athayde et al. (2000) attributed the variations in the caffeine content in the analyzed samples to their origin, generic and environmental factors, method of processing and time of harvest. The USFDA stated that caffeine consumption below 130 - 300 mg/day is low/moderate, whereas, above an intake of 400 mg/day is high (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 2003; Ogahand Obebe, 2012). Since the intake or consumption of caffeine products like chewing as with kola nuts or drinking as with tea or beverage consumption, can possibly result in daily accumulation which may very well over shoot the maximum permissible limit, and invariably pose health challenges, it is important to know or have an idea of the caffeine content of these samples or products. The results obtained in this study, showed that all the samples analyzed generally had low caffeine contents and several consumptions of these products in a day either by chewing or as beverages was safe as accumulation above the threshold limit may not be practicable. It should be noted that Kola nut which was 46 % or 1.15 mg/L of caffeine and was found to be the highest, although this value was still generally low. 17 This is because a 200 times consumption of it per day would still not exceed the threshold limit of 400 mg. Since caffeine is dose dependent, the excessive consumption of Kola nitida and other products containing caffeine should be avoided by people suffering from high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases as the excessive intake can cause adverse health effects. However, it is pertinent and necessary that the intake of caffeine-containing edible food substances and beverages should be regulated and most importantly, the specific amount of the caffeine content be explicitly written on the label