Proximal chemical evaluation, antioxidant content and fatty acids in fermented and dried cocoa beans, roasted cocoa beans and cocoa pulp bar (Theobroma cacao L. Criollo cultivar)

Abstract

Proximal chemical evaluation, antioxidant content and fatty acids in fermented and dried cocoa beans, roasted cocoa beans and cocoa pulp bar (Theobroma cacao L. Criollo cultivar) Evaluación química proximal, contenido de antioxidantes y ácidos grasos en el grano de cacao fermentado y seco, grano de cacao tostado y barra de pulpa de cacao (Theobroma cacao L. Criollo cultivar)

Effect of consumption of cocoa paste (Theobroma cacao L.) on anthropometric and clinical indicators in university students

“…The participation with the cocoa paste intervention was carried out with the consumption of 1 g daily per person for 4 weeks. The cocoa paste was previously elaborated by the working group and its total phenol content was 1300 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram (Ariza et al, 2021).…”

“…One of these ingredients is cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.), which for two thousand years, Mesoamerican cultures have used it to make cocoa paste and beverages, and currently the same process is followed for its production, which is a roasting of the seeds, addition of spices, grinding, melting, and molding, does not contain additives (unlike commercial chocolates) and represents 100 % of its nutritional composition, and one of the main bioactive compounds, are polyphenols (flavanols, flavonols, flavones, flavonones, flavonones, stilbenes, methylxanthines and phenolic acids), which are secondary metabolites, and are believed to be responsible for the bitter taste, the astringency of cocoa beans and their derivatives, and exert health benefits, such as the reduction of adipose tissue and dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which are induced by a frequent excess in the diet, of foods with high energy density and ultra-processed foods (Montagna et al, 2019;Ariza et al, 2021). Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of consuming 1 g for 4 weeks of cocoa paste (Theobroma cacao L.) on anthropometric indicators, body composition, blood pressure and heart rate in university students.…”