Actions of chlorogenic acid, a major component of coffee, andits constituents, caffeic and quinic acids, on theproliferation and invasion of AH109A, a rat ascites hepatomacell line, were investigated using in vitro assay systems. Allthree components suppressed the AH109A invasion atconcentrations of 5-40 muM without altering the cellproliferation. At the concentration of 10 muM, chlorogenic,caffeic and quinic acids significantly (P < 0.05) suppressedthe invasion by 68%, 36% and 31%, respectively, implying thatthe suppressive effect of chlorogenic acid on the AH109Ainvasion might result from the additive effects of itsconstituents, caffeic and quinic acids. At the concentrationof 10 muM, cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid (4-hydroxycinnamicacid) exerted no or little influence on the invasion, whereascaffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid) significantly (P <0.05) suppressed it, suggesting the possible involvement ofthe 3,4-dihydroxy group of caffeic acid in the suppression.Chlorogenic acid was thus demonstrated to be one of thechemical entities in coffee suppressing the hepatoma invasionin vitro, and both of its constituents, caffeic and quinicacids, to be responsible for the anti-invasive activity. Theseresults suggest the existence of nutritionally andpharmacologically important substances in coffee which controltumor cell invasion.