## 3 Results
### Profile of Volatile Compounds (GC-SPME-MS)  
A total of 23 compounds were identified across the coffee samples. The three most abundant in all samples were furfuryl alcohol, 5-methylfurfural, and furfuryl acetate, ranging from 14.43% to 32.73% relative peak area (RPA). Notably, 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine and 3-ethyl-2-hydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one were absent in elephant coffee, while 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylfuran, and 3-methylbutanal were not detected in conventional coffee. Civet coffee contained all 24 of the compounds measured. Compared to the other two types, elephant coffee had the highest levels of 2-methylbutanal, pyrazine, and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (1.18%, 0.43%, and 3.73% RPA, respectively; the first two significant at \(p\leq 0.01\), the last not significant), but had relatively low amounts of 2-methylbutanoic acid and 1-acetoxy-propan-2-one (0.20% and 3.57% RPA; not significant). Both elephant and civet cofrees had significantly higher pyridine levels (5.65-6.28% RPA; \(p\leq 0.01\)) and slightly higher furfuryl acetate content (18.00-20.96% RPA; not significant) than conventional coffee. Civet coffee was notably lower in furfuryl alcohol (23.72% RPA; not significant) and furfural (4.65% RPA; \(p\leq 0.01\)), but significantly higher in 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine (7.01% RPA; \(p\leq 0.01\)) than the other two. Conventional coffee, on the other hand, had the highest amounts of 5-methylfurfural (21.21% RPA; not significant) and (+)-limonene (4.53% RPA; \(p\leq 0.01\)). Further details are presented in Table 3.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l} \hline \hline
**Sample** & **Caffeine** & **Chlorogenic Acid** & **Gallic Acid** & **Cinnamic Acid** & **Caffeic Acid** \\ \hline \multicolumn{6}{c}{\% of dry weight} \\ \hline Conventional coffee & 1.33 \(\pm\) 0.13  \\ RSD (\%) & 10.10 & 11.06 & 3.89 & 13.25 & 11.03 \\ Civet coffee & 0.93 \(\pm\) 0.07  & 0.44 \(\pm\) 0.03  \\ RSD (\%) & 7.40 & 6.81 & 0.93 & 3.57 & 6.07 \\ Elephant coffee & 0.93 \(\pm\) 0.03  & 0.33 \(\pm\) 0.01  \\ RSD (\%) & 0.93 \(\pm\) 0.03  & 0.33 \(\pm\) 0.01  \\ RSD (\%) & 2.87 & 4.02 & 1.67 & 1.04 & 4.97 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Chemical composition (mean \(\pm\) SD) of the tested coffee samples.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l} \hline \hline
**Compound** & **RI (Measured) ** & **RI (Literature) ** & **Content (\% RPA)** & **Elephant** \\  & & & **Cowentional** & **Coffee** & **Coffee** \\ \hline
2-methylfuran & 611 & 603 & n.d. & 0.64 \(\pm\) 0.06  & 0.94 \(\pm\) 0.03  \\ acetic acid & 618 & 602 & 1.33 \(\pm\) 0.18  & 1.14 \(\pm\) 0.19  & 1.55 \(\pm\) 0.23  \\
3-methylbutanal & 647 & 649 & n.d. & 0.11 \(\pm\) 0.01  & 0.185 \(\pm\) 0.004  \\
2-methylbutanal & 654 & 656 & n.d. & 0.64 \(\pm\) 0.28  & 1.18 \(\pm\) 0.32  \\ pentan-2,3-dione & 684 & 696 & 0.13 \(\pm\) 0.02  & 0.28 \(\pm\) 0.12  & 0.30 \(\pm\) 0.11  \\ propanoic acid & 701 & 702 & 0.34 \(\pm\) 0.15  & 0.21 \(\pm\) 0.06  & 0.36 \(\pm\) 0.09  \\ pyrazine & 724 & 672 & 0.20 \(\pm\) 0.05  & 0.28 \(\pm\) 0.03  & 0.43 \(\pm\) 0.03  \\ pyridine & 737 & 740 & 2.68 \(\pm\) 0.44  & 5.65 \(\pm\) 0.78  & 6.28 \(\pm\) 0.06  \\ methylpyrazine & 824 & 824 & 6.97 \(\pm\) 0.21  & 7.26 \(\pm\) 0.56  & 8.84 \(\pm\) 1.01  \\ furfural & 839 & 829 & 8.63 \(\pm\) 0.28  & 4.65 \(\pm\) 0.36  & 7.00 \(\pm\) 0.62  \\ furfuryl alcohol & 862 & 866 & 30.79 \(\pm\) 1.95 & 23.72 \(\pm\) 4.14 & 32.73 \(\pm\) 3.14 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 3: Chemical profile of volatile compounds found in tested coffee samples.