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A little wonder, every day

Caffeine can contribute to plant defense

Історична ботанічна таблиця Coffea arabica з Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen; ілюстрація рослини, не фото інсектицидного досліду / Historical Coffea arabica plate from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen; a botanical illustration, not a pesticide experiment photograph.

Історична ботанічна таблиця Coffea arabica з Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen; ілюстрація рослини, не фото інсектицидного досліду / Historical Coffea arabica plate from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen; a botanical illustration, not a pesticide experiment photograph.

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Caffeine, a natural alkaloid in coffee and some other plants, can inhibit feeding or harm certain insects. Experiments support a possible role in chemical plant defense, but effects depend on dose and insect species. It is not a universal poison for every insect, nor is defense caffeine’s only ecological role. Low concentrations in floral nectar, for example, have been studied in relation to bees’ memory of rewards.