Abstract
Polyphenol Extracts (PE) hold antioxidant properties, which might be related to positive effects on human health. It has been stated that PE, obtained from cocoa beans, contain fractions of flavan-3-ols with different degrees of polymerization (DP). However, it is unknown which of the fractions or their mixture drives the best antioxidant activity. This paper reports the study conducted to elucidate the role of each fraction (with different DP) on Antioxidant Capacity (AC). First, the process of extraction and separation of polyphenols’ fractions in cocoa beans was executed; afterward, AC was determined for each fraction individually and their combinations (monomers, dimers and oligomers). Solid-liquid extraction was made by using a 50% (v/v) ethanol solution and a mass:solvent ratio of 1:120 in an ultrasound bath. PE were separated into monomers, dimers, and oligomers by HPLC using a semipreparative column. The results obtained show that PE contain 95.35, 7.45, and 21.75 mg EE (epicatechin equivalents) / g ds of monomers, dimers, and oligomers, respectively. Finally, the AC of each fraction was evaluated using a complete cubic model mix design. According to the results, the best AC was obtained for dimers. However, when monomers, dimers and oligomers were mixed, an antagonistic effect on AC was observed.
Highlights
The cocoa plant (Theobroma Cacao L.) is a native species from South and Central America
These results showed that the values obtained in this work are in the same ranges of the values reported by FEDECACAO [23] for cocoa beans from different regions of Colombia
Total polyphenolic content (TPC) in the polyphenol extracts was quantified in 77 mg GAE/g ds; this value is higher than the reported for Colombian cocoa beans
Summary
The cocoa plant (Theobroma Cacao L.) is a native species from South and Central America. Cocoa beans hold bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which have antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial properties tested at in vitro and in vivo levels [5,6]. These compounds are reflected in positive health effects; for example, prevention of cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, reduction of cholesterol levels, improvement in endothelial dysfunction, and treatment in some neurodegenerative diseases [5,6]. The last three are seasonal spices, only extensively used in a few countries, which makes cocoa the richest food in polyphenols consumed massively around the world
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
