AbstractThe level of theophylline in mature and ripened fruit is 20–50 times that in the immature green fruit ofCoffea arabicaL. Biodegradation of caffeine occurs in the mature, ripened coffee fruits through theophylline and theobromine as the first biodegradation products. It is now clear that theophylline is associated primarily with caffeine biodegradation, whereas theobromine is involved in both biosynthesis and biodegradation of caffein