A New Process To Develop a Cocoa Powder with Higher Flavonoid Monomer Content and Enhanced Bioavailability in Healthy Humans

Abstract

Cocoa is a food rich in polyphenols, mainly the flavonoid procyanidins and flavan-3-ols. The improvement of the cardiovascular function in humans upon cocoa consumption has been specifically linked to the presence of flavan-3-ol derived metabolites in plasma, especially epicatechin glucuronide. In this context, a flavonoid-enriched cocoa-derived product could potentially exert stronger health benefits. The aim of the present study was to obtain a cocoa powder with a higher flavonoid content (mainly enriched in monomer compounds) and assess its flavonoid bioavailability in humans. For this purpose, an unfermented, nonroasted, and blanch-treated cocoa powder (A) was obtained. The powder contained four times more procyanidins than a conventional (B) cocoa powder. Powder A contained eight times more epicatechin and procyanidin B2 than powder B. Cocoa milk drinks were prepared with powder A (MDA) and B (MDB). The bioavailability of flavonoids in both drinks was assessed in a crossover intervention with healthy volunteers. The content of epicatechin glucuronide, the main metabolite detected in plasma, was five-fold higher upon consumption of MDA as compared with MDB. The urinary excretion of metabolites, mainly methyl epicatechin sulfate, was higher upon MDA consumption as compared with MDB, ranging from two-to 12-fold higher depending on the metabolite. These results, together with previous reports regarding the cardiovascular benefits linked to the presence of procyanidin metabolites in plasma, suggest that further clinical trials to validate the health benefits of a flavonoid-enriched cocoa powder are warranted.

Changes in the flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and flavanols composition of cocoa beans of different Theobroma cacao L. groups affected by roasting conditions

“…Phenolic compounds are one of the most important groups of secondary metabolites directly related to the sensory characteristics (color and bitter taste) and many beneficial health effects of raw cocoa beans and their derived products [1][2][3]. The most abundant class of polyphenols identified in cocoa beans has been flavonoids [4]. Among these compounds, monomeric flavan-3-ols (37 %), such as (−)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin, as well as procyanidins (58 %) with various degrees of polymerization are the most important ones [5,6].…”

“…These compounds confer bioactive properties on the cocoa beans and cocoa-derived products, such as antitumorigenic, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antiadhesive, and antioxidant effects. In this sense, it has been reported that consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa products have been found to decrease the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, improve blood lipid profile and 1 3 endothelial function, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and reduce inflammatory response [4,10].…”

“…However, polyphenolic compounds profile and content in cocoa beans depend on a number of factors such as the genotype, climatic and agronomic conditions, post-harvest practices, and storage conditions [4,9]. Among a large variety of T. cacao types grown in Central West Africa, South America, Asia, and Oceania, the most important groups are Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario, which is a natural hybrid between the Criollo and Forastero [11,12].…”

Impacto de la fermentación y secado sobre el contenido de polifenoles y capacidad antioxidante del clon de cacao CCN-51

“…No obstante, los valores obtenidos en los granos sin fermentar (F0) se encuentran por debajo de aquellos reportados en estudios similares. Así por ejemplo, Tomas-Barberán et al [29] hallaron un contenido polifenólico total de 81,4mgEAG/gMS en un clon amazónico colombiano seco y sin fermentar. Kim y Keeney [30] encontraron contenidos de PT en granos de cacao forastero no fermentado entre 120 y 180mgEAG/gMS.…”

“…Se observa que el valor predicho para el nivel 0 de fermentación se aleja considerablemente del contenido de PT establecido en el presente estudio, acercándose a su vez a lo reportado por otros autores [29][30][31][32]. Aunque la expresión propuesta en este trabajo fue ajustada con valores propios del clon de cacao CCN-51, ella también permite predecir la evolución del contenido de PT de variedades Forastero y Amazónico con un error relativo promedio del 20%, aproximadamente (Tabla 3).…”