Abstract
Twenty-nine healthy volunteers aged 47–69 years old were randomly assigned to a 28-day oral intake of different dark chocolate (DC) formulations. The main group received daily 30 g of proprietary lycopene-containing (L-tug) lycosome formulation of DC with enhanced bioavailability of cocoa flavanols. Two control groups daily consumed either 30 g of regular DC alone or along with 7 mg of lycopene, which corresponds to the amount of lycopene ingested with L-tug formulation. It was found that L-tug was more efficient in reducing diastolic blood pressure (mean value of −6.22 mmHg, 95% CI: 5.00, 8.00) when compared with the regular DC group (−3.00 mmHg, P < 0.05) or the group which ingested the DC and lycopene as two separate formulations (mean reduction of −4 mmHg, 95% CI: 2.47, 6.00, P = 0.0262). Only marginal superiority for L-tug formulation in the reduction in systolic blood pressure was seen. However, the L-tug formulation was the only formulation of DC which affected serum lipids. There was a reduction in total cholesterol (from median 228.00 mg/dL [95% CI: 206.2, 242.5] to 187.00 mg/dL [95% CI: 166.2, 202.2, P < 0.05]) with corresponding decline of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (from a median of 166.00 mg/dL [95% CI: 130.8, 177.0] to 151.00 mg/dL [95% CI: 122.8, 167.4; P < 0.05]) at the end of the intervention period. Similar decline was seen in serum triglycerides (P < 0.05). Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, glucose levels, and C-reactive protein (CRP) values remained statistically unchanged in all study groups throughout the intervention period. A superior biological activity of the L-tug lycosome formulation of DC extending beyond its antihypertensive effect to lipid-lowering ability opens up new possibilities for the use of DC for health purposes helping to reduce daily caloric intake without compromising on the health benefits of DC consumption.
Highlights
Oxidative stress and the subsequent accumulation of reactive oxygen species represent a basic unifying mechanism behind atherosclerosis development under different pathological conditions and creates a major rationale for the use of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (Singh and Jialal 2006; Lo€nn et al 2012)
We report the reduction in systemic blood pressure and serum lipids in prehypertensive clinically healthy volunteers after ingestion of a proprietary lycopene-containing formulation of dark chocolate L-tugTM, which has been developed by Lycotec Ltd (Cambridge, UK) using lycosome technology (Petyaev 2012)
The prehypertensive individuals were further screened for serum lipid levels: total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), and triglycerides
Summary
Oxidative stress and the subsequent accumulation of reactive oxygen species represent a basic unifying mechanism behind atherosclerosis development under different pathological conditions and creates a major rationale for the use of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (Singh and Jialal 2006; Lo€nn et al 2012). There is a growing body of both epidemiological and clinical evidence that cocoa flavanols (catechins and epicatechins) and cocoa alkaloids (theobromine and theophylline) can be used effectively for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (Flammer et al 2012; Stote et al 2012; Cicero and Borghi 2013) These claims have significant support from multiple in vivo and in vitro studies describing the antioxidant effect of cocoa flavanols and alkaloids resulting in modulation of nitric oxide production and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) turnover (Park 2005; Gu€lßcin 2012; Fernandez Vallinas et al 2013).
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