Antioxidant Activity and Multi-Elemental Analysis of Dark Chocolate

Abstract

Cocoa beans are part of the cocoa plant fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) used to prepare various products such as chocolate, cocoa butter, jelly, liqueurs, cosmetics, etc. Dark chocolate is consumed worldwide by different populations and is known for its good taste, making it one of the most favoured food products. This work aimed to determine the content of total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and the antioxidant potential measured through the ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as major and trace elements contained in twelve commercially available dark chocolate samples, with cocoa content ranging from 40% to 99%. The total polyphenols content ranged between 10.55 and 39.82 mg/g GAE, while the total flavonoid content was from 10.04 to 37.85 mg/g CE. All applied antioxidant assays indicate that the sample with the highest cocoa percentage shows the greatest antioxidant activity (DPPH: 48.34% of inhibition; FRAP: 89.00 mg/g GAE; TAC: 83.86 mg/g AAE). Statistical methods were applied to establish the differences between the samples concerning TPC, TFC, DPPH, FRAP and TAC, as well as to differentiate the samples according to the mineral content. The results indicated that the differences in TPC and TFC between different samples depended on the cocoa content and the addition of dried fruit pieces. A good correlation between antioxidant potency composite index (ACI) and declared cocoa content was noticed (R2 = 0.8034), indicating that the declared percentage of cocoa is a reliable indicator for antioxidant activity of analysed dark chocolate samples. The nutritional evaluation proved that the studied chocolate samples were an excellent source of Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu.

Conching process time, sauco by-product concentration, and sacha inchi oil levels identification for the enrichment of dark chocolate

“…The results show that the total phenols content ranged from 22.15 to 24.65 mgGAE/g ( Table 1 .) [ 35 ]. reported values of 19.80 mg/gGAE in 75% dark chocolates with raspberry and 15.02 mg/gGAE in 75% dark chocolates, both of which were lower than the results obtained in this study; at the same time, a significant increase in total phenols content ( p < 0.05) is observed with the addition of raspberry to the chocolate and corroborated by Ref.…”

Modulation of Oxidative Stress and Glycemic Control in Diabetic Wistar Rats: The Therapeutic Potential of Theobroma cacao and Camellia sinensis Diets

“…SOD catalyzes the conversion of the superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen [ 24 ]. The difference in SOD activity, especially the lower activity in the Theobroma cacao group, makes us wonder how well some dietary changes help the body's enzymatic antioxidant defense mechanism [ 25 - 27 ]. Our present study's results were corroborated by earlier scientific studies.…”

Flavanol-Rich Cocoa Supplementation Inhibits Mitochondrial Biogenesis Triggered by Exercise

“…The performance of an exercise bout led to an elevation in oxidative stress, as supported by the TBARS and SOD data, and this was attenuated after 10 weeks in the both CT and CO groups by the practice of physical exercise and the increased physical condition, as expected [ 47 ], but this was more marked in athletes supplemented with cocoa, which may diminish the adaptations to exercise [ 48 , 49 ]. The antioxidant activity of cocoa and its main compounds such as catechins are well known [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Epicatechin and procyanidin B2 have direct and indirect effects on mitochondrial function by quenching ROS production, preserving membrane integrity and increasing ATP production, and they are possibly beneficial for diseases associated with high oxidative stress [ 53 ].…”