Abstract
Oxidative stress is among the main culprits for the progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. It is well known that dark chocolate possesses polyphenols as major constituents which dietary consumption has been associated to health beneficial effects. Consequently, this study aimed to analyze dark chocolate (DC) and dark chocolate enriched with medicinal mushroom Coriolus versicolor (DCC) and hazelnuts (DCH) regarding antioxidant potential and total polyphenol (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), flavan-3-ol (FLA) and proanthocyanidin (PCA) content. DPPH•, CUPRAC and ABTS•+ assays were applied for measuring antioxidant capacity. The average of all antioxidant tests for each product was used for calculating the antioxidant potency composite index (ACI). The mean values of all antioxidant assays indicated that all chocolate products contained potent antioxidants. The addition of hazelnuts to dark chocolate significantly affected its total flavonoid content. Regression analysis among results obtained with antioxidant assays revealed that dark chocolate and dark chocolate products may act in mixed mode, by direct reduction via electron transfer or by radical quenching via H atom transfer. Flavan-3ols had the most significant impact on the ability of the analyzed samples to reduce metals, while proanthocyanidins primarily acted as radical scavengers. The obtained results provided additional information regarding the value-added dark chocolates enriched with bioactive compounds of medicinal mushroom and plant origin.
Highlights
Chocolate and chocolate products have been consumed throughout human history, but the healthy/unhealthy effects of chocolate have not always been recognized
From the results obtained from correlation analysis among the antioxidant assays it could be concluded that dark chocolate and dark chocolate products may act in mixed mode, by direct reduction via electron transfers or by radical quenching via H atom transfer
The results of the present study confirmed the antioxidant potential of dark chocolate and dark chocolate enriched with C. versicolor mushroom and hazelnuts
Summary
Chocolate and chocolate products have been consumed throughout human history, but the healthy/unhealthy effects of chocolate have not always been recognized. The determination of secondary metabolites in cocoa and chocolate has changed the long lasting fallacies about the adverse effects of chocolate which has been presented over the last century. Chocolate is an energy source of sugar and fat mixture, but is a rich source of polyphenols and methylxanthines which show an important role in protecting human health (Todorovic et al, 2015). The main polyphenols in chocolate and its products are flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins (Laličić-Petronijević et al, 2016). The most biological active are monomeric flavan-3-ols, catechin and epicatechin, and their oligomeric derivativesprocyanidins, members of the proanthocyanidin class of flavonoids (Katz et al, 2011). Flavan-3-ols and procyanidins may contribute to cardioprotective effects via
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