Scientists in Brazil are finding that un-roasted coffee beans, which contain large amounts of globulins proteins, work well to naturally ward off insects.

Paulo Mazzafera and his colleagues are working to develop the globulins to protect food crops. Their study appears in the February 2010 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The insecticidal properties of the purified proteins were tested against the cowpea weevil using artificial diets; and the results showed that small amounts of coffee proteins killed up to half of the insects.

In the future, scientists could potentially breed these globulin proteins into crops so plants would theoretically produce their own defenses against insects.

And no need to worry, globulins proteins are destroyed when the beans are roasted, so you won’t be sipping on insecticide in your next cup of coffee.

View the report: “Purification of Legumin-Like Proteins from Coffea arabica and Coffea racemosa Seeds and Their Insecticidal Properties toward Cowpea Weevil (Caliosobruchus maculates) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).”

Image: Aidan Wojtas

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