Cocoa Tea Research Articles

MARKETING MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY PRODUCTS FOR HEALTH TOURISM IN RANONG PROVINCE, THAILAND

The purpose of this research was to analyze the management approaches for the marketing channels of community goods and Health tourism in Ranong Province, Thailand. Quantitative method was conducted by interviewing 30 samples who own restaurants, gift shops, and health tourism enterprises. The technique used in this study was an in-depth interview with local business company owners and the collected data were written in the form of content analysis. The research results showed that young individuals with potential for marketing, notably via social media, are the group leaders of Ranong Cocoa Community Enterprises, and they make use of cocoa mass, a product manufactured from 100% of the cocoa beans that are the main components used to make chocolate through creating a Facebook page, and networking with other company owners. In addition, there are other products available, for examples, cocoa nibs and tea produced from cocoa husks, and packaged cocoa tea that is prepared to be consumed. It is a prototype product that may also be manufactured commercially. Additionally, the cacao.cocoa.drink@gmail.com and YouTube websites are part of the Ranong Cocoa Community Enterprise\'s marketing channel management plan for its products.

Variation of Major Chemical Composition in Seed-Propagated Population of Wild Cocoa Tea Plant Camellia ptilophylla Chang.

Excessive intake of high-caffeine tea will induce health-related risk. Therefore, breeding and cultivating tea cultivars with less caffeine is a feasible way to control daily caffeine intake. Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla Chang) is a wild tea plant which grows leaves with little or no caffeine. However, the vegetative propagation of cocoa tea plants is difficult due to challenges with rooting. Whether natural seeds collected from wild cocoa tea plants can be used to produce less-caffeinated tea remains unknown, because research on the separation of traits among the seed progeny population is lacking. The present study was set to investigate the variation of caffeine and other chemical compositions in seed-propagated plant individuals using colorimetric and HPLC methods. It shows that there were great differences in chemical composition among the seed-propagated population of wild cocoa tea plants, among which some individuals possessed caffeine contents as high as those of normal cultivated tea cultivars (C. sinensis), suggesting that the naturally seed-propagated cocoa tea seedlings are not suitable for directly cultivating leaf materials to produce low-caffeine tea. Therefore, the cocoa tea plants used for harvesting seeds for growing low-caffeine tea plants should be isolated in order to prevent their hybridization with normal cultivated C. sinensis plants. Interestingly, the leaves of cocoa tea seedlings contained high levels of gallocatechin gallate (GCG) and would be a good source of leaf materials for extracting more stable antioxidant, because GCG is a more stable antioxidant than epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the dominant component of catechins in normal cultivated tea cultivars. Some plant individuals which contained low levels of caffeine along with high levels of amino acids and medium levels of catechins, are considered to be promising for further screening of less-caffeinated green tea cultivars.

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of water extract from black cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla)

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) is a non-conventional tea variety with low caffeine and high gallocatechin gallate (GCG). The anti-inflammatory activity of black cocoa tea and its underlying mechanisms remain virtually unknown. In this study, the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of water extracts from black cocoa tea (BCWE) and Yunnan Daye tea (BYWE) were compared. Results showed that the dominant alkaloid in BCWE and BYWE were theobromine and caffeine, respectively. The contents of gallic acid, total catechins, and total polyphenols in BCWE were significantly higher than those in BYWE. For tea pigments, BYWE contained a little more total theaflavins and theabrownins than BCWE, while no significant difference was observed in thearubigins. Interestingly, a novel theaflavin synthesized from GCG and catechin was found in BCWE. In lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells, both BCWE and BYWE could inhibit the production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 by down-regulating the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. They also markedly reduced the release of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 at a high dose. Additionally, BCWE exhibited stronger anti-inflammatory activity than BYWE. Finally, BCWE exerted anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B, and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways. These findings suggest that black cocoa tea can be developed into a promising functional beverage with anti-inflammatory property.

Purine alkaloids in tea plants: component, biosynthetic mechanism and genetic variation

The purine alkaloids, including caffeine, theobromine, and theacrine, are one of the most important quality and functional components of tea plants and commercial teas. In this paper, we review the component, biosynthetic mechanism and genetic variation of purine alkaloids in tea plants. The content of caffeine and theobromine in 403 accessions Chinese tea germplasms core collection preserved in the National Germplasm Hangzhou Tea Repository were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The purine alkaloid profiles of different tea varieties, germplasm types, geographical origin, seasons, were highlighted. Some naturally low caffeine or caffeine-free, high theobromine or high theacrine germplasms were identified and the possible biosynthetic mechanism of hypernormal purine alkaloid content in tea plants were partially revealed. Some Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (CAPS) DNA markers were developed for the identification of purine alkaloid content. The potential application of genetic engineering and DNA markers developed based on the low caffeine <italic>TCS1</italic> (tea caffeine synthesis gene) alleles for marker assisted selection (MAS), and cocoa tea and kucha in low caffeine/high theacrine tea cultivar breeding programs were also reviewed.

Antioxidant and sensory evaluation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) tea formulated with cocoa bean hull of different origins

Cocoa nibs are the main ingredient for chocolate production while cocoa bean hulls are the major by-product. Uniqueness of this study is that we investigate the antioxidant content and activity of single origin cocoa bean hulls compared to nibs based on their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), free radical scavenging activity (DPPH Assay), ferric reducing powder (FRAP), and ferrous ion chelating (FIC) ability, thus highlighting regional differences. Venezuela raw cocoa bean hull had the highest antioxidant properties and these properties can tolerate roasting up to 100 ⁰C. Roasting temperature influences both the antioxidant properties and the flavor profile of the resulting cocoa tea. Of the 105 respondents of the hedonic survey, 67.64% indicated that they would buy our cocoa tea. Cocoa tea made from Malaysia and Venezuela origin had a higher theobromine content and a much lower caffeine content compared to green tea. In all cases, cocoa tea made primarily from the cocoa bean hull is safe for consumption as the Aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2), Ochratoxin A, and pesticides residues were not detected within the detection limits (0.001 mg/kg and 0.005 mg/kg). It can be concluded that regional differences give a unique flavor profile to the cocoa bean hull and there were differences in terms of antioxidant properties.

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in HCT116 cells via ROS generation and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla), a natural gallocatechin gallate (GCG)-rich and low caffeine-containing tea species, has been recently reported to possess various bioactivities. However, the anti-colon cancer effects of Cocoa tea and its underlying mechanisms remain virtually unknown. This study aimed to assess the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of water extract of Cocoa tea (CWE) on human colon cancer HCT116 cells compared with Yunnan Daye tea (YWE). Primarily, CWE showed stronger anti-proliferation and apoptosis induction than YWE. Moreover, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were observed, suggesting that mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was activated by CWE. Furthermore, CWE-induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells was dependent on the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and down-regulation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Pretreatment with ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) attenuated the impact of CWE on mitochondria-related apoptosis proteins, and partially recovered the inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. These results indicated that ROS generation mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and inactivation of PI3K/Akt pathway in CWE-induced HCT116 cell apoptosis. Additionally, CWE significantly inhibited tumor growth in HCT116 tumor-bearing mice, suggesting that Cocoa tea could act as a potential functional beverage to prevent or treat colorectal cancer.

GC-(4→8)-GCG, A Proanthocyanidin Dimer from Camellia ptilophylla, Modulates Obesity and Adipose Tissue Inflammation in High-Fat Diet Induced Obese Mice.

Excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue leads to obesity and related chronic inflammation. This study aims to examine the effects of gallocatechin -(4→8)-gallocatechin-3-O-gallate (GC-(4→8)-GCG), a main proanthocyanidin dimer from Camellia ptilophylla (Cocoa tea), on adipocyte- and adipose-related inflammation in vivo and in vitro. C57BL/6 mice are fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and GC-(4→8)-GCG (40 or 80 mg kg-1 d-1 ) for 8 weeks. The metabolic profiles, adipose tissue hypertrophy, macrophage infiltration, and inflammatory cytokine production are investigated. Additionally, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes are utilized to investigate the effect of GC-(4→8)-GCG on preadipocyte differentiation and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated inflammatory response in vitro. GC-(4→8)-GCG supplementation decreases HFD-induced epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) hypertrophy, suppresses proinflammatory cytokine production and macrophage infiltration in eWAT, and improves insulin sensitivity in HFD-induced obese mice. In vitro, GC-(4→8)-GCG shows a strong anti-adipogenic potential in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte by inhibiting the expression of key adipogenic transcription factors and decreasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB, Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT3) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. GC-(4→8)-GCG can modulate obesity and improve obesity-related insulin resistance by inhibiting preadipocyte differentiation and the related proinflammatory responses.

Hongyacha, a Naturally Caffeine-Free Tea Plant from Fujian, China.

Hongyacha (HYC) is a type of new wild tea plant discovered in Fujian Province, China. This tea is helpful to the healing or prevention of disease in its original growing area. However, research on this tea is limited. Our results showed that HYC displayed obvious differences in its morphological characteristics compared with Cocoa tea ( Camellia ptilophylla Chang), a famous caffeine-free tea plant in China. Theobromine and trans-catechins, but not caffeine and cis-catechins, were the dominant purine alkaloids and catechins detected in HYC. HYC might contain abundant gallocatechin-(4 → 8)-gallocatechin gallate, 1,3,4,6-tetra- O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranose, and (-)-gallocatechin-3,5-di- O-gallate, which were not detected in regular tea. We also found that the TCS1 of HYC was distinct, and the responding recombinant protein exhibited only theobromine synthase activity. The obtained results showed that HYC is a new kind of caffeine-free tea plant and may be used for scientific protection and efficient utilization in the future.

Herbal antihyperlipidemic formulation of cocoa tea: Preparation and &lt;i&gt;in vivo&lt;/i&gt; comparison with atorvastatin

Purpose: To prepare and characterize a formulation containing an ethanol extract of Camellia ptilophylla leaves (cocoa tea), with a focus on antihyperlipidemic and anti-obesity activities.Methods: An aloe vera–based formulation of an ethanol extract of cocoa tea (C. ptilophylla) was prepared. The formulation was given orally at 400 mg/kg daily to obese (high-fat diet–induced) mice for 1 month, and body weight as well as total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and VLDL cholesterol levels were determined and compared with those of control and standard groups (the latter mice received atorvastatin at 400 mg/kg daily).Results: At the end of treatment, the standard group exhibited 64.65 % reduction in body weight gain and the test group exhibited 48.87 % reduction, compared with control. The group that received the formulation had significantly lower levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol, and a higher level of HDL cholesterol.Conclusion: The formulation of an ethanolic extract of cocoa tea leaves seems to exert antihyperlipidemic and anti-obesity activities comparable to those of a modern lipid-lowering agent (atorvastatin) in mice. Thus, this natural remedy has the potential to prevent or delay hyperlipidemia and the cardiovascular complications associated with diet-induced obesity.Keywords: Obesity, Lipid profile, Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) leaves, Weight management, Herbal formulation, Antihyperlipidemic, Anti-obesity

Cellular antioxidant, methylglyoxal trapping, and anti-inflammatory activities of cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla Chang)

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla Chang) is a naturally low caffeine-containing but gallocatechin gallate (GCG)-rich tea cultivar, though its biological activities have not been extensively explored. Herein, we evaluated the in vitro cellular antioxidant, methylglyoxal trapping, and anti-inflammatory activities of water extract of green tea from cocoa tea (CWE) and Yunnan Daye tea (Camellia sinensis) (YWE), and their predominant bioactive components GCG and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for comparative purposes. Primarily, CWE exhibited a higher cellular antioxidant potential than YWE via a cellular antioxidant activity assay, while no significant difference was observed between GCG and EGCG. Moreover, CWE was more potent than YWE in the inhibitory effect on inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, including nitric oxide and interleukin-6 productions. Additionally, CWE showed comparable MGO trapping ability to YWE, although EGCG was more reactive with MGO than with GCG. This study suggested that cocoa tea would be a promising and potential functional beverage as a dietary antioxidant, methylglyoxal trapping, and anti-inflammatory agent.

Minerals (Calcium, Iron, Zinc) Analysis and Interaction of Emphasized Nutrition Indication on Products

The present study aimed to calcium (Ca), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents were compared with reference values indicated on the nutrition label of nutrition emphasized food. Also, this paper will briefly review and evaluate what is currently known about Fe-Zn and Ca-Fe interaction. Ca, Fe or Zn-emphasized product, including cereal, snack, soy milk, chocolate product, other cocoa product, sugars product, beverage and tea were analyzed. The contents of Ca, Fe, and Zn in samples after dry-ashing were examined by ICP. The measured Ca (n = 42), Fe (n = 13), Zn (n = 6) values were ranged 87~176%, 98~167%, 98~275% of reference value indicated product, respectively. All samples were ranged more than 80% of the reference value, which were complied with food regulation. High intake of Ca has been shown to adversely affect Fe absorption and the negative effect of Fe on Zn absorption is well known. Therefore, it is important to consider Ca-Fe and Fe-Zn absorption interaction, when Ca, Fe or Zn-emphasized product produce and nutrition labeling policy should be managed regularly with continuous monitoring.

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) water extract inhibits adipocyte differentiation in mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) is a naturally decaffeinated tea plant. Previously we found that cocoa tea demonstrated a beneficial effect against high-fat diet induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, and hyperlipidemia in mice. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-adipogenic effect of cocoa tea in vitro using preadipocytes 3T3-L1. Adipogenic differentiation was confirmed by Oil Red O stain, qPCR and Western blot. Our results demonstrated that cocoa tea significantly inhibited triglyceride accumulation in mature adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Cocoa tea was shown to suppress the expressions of key adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR γ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP α). The tea extract was subsequently found to reduce the expressions of adipocyte-specific genes such as sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid translocase (FAT) and stearoylcoenzyme A desaturase-1 (SCD-1). In addition, JNK, ERK and p38 phosphorylation were inhibited during cocoa tea inhibition of 3T3-L1 adipogenic differentiation. Taken together, this is the first study that demonstrates cocoa tea has the capacity to suppress adipogenesis in pre-adipocyte 3T3-L1 similar to traditional green tea

Preparative separation of gallocatechin gallate from Camellia ptilophylla using macroporous resins followed by sephadex LH-20 column chromatography.

Gallocatechin gallate (GCG) possesses multiple potential biological activities. However, the content of GCG in traditional green tea is too low which limits its in-depth pharmacological research and application. In the present study, a simple, efficient and environment-friendly chromatographic separation method was developed for preparative enrichment and separation of GCG from cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) which contains high content of GCG. In the first step, the adsorption properties of selected resins were evaluated, and XAD-7HP resin was chosen by its adsorption and desorption properties for GCG. In order to maximize column efficiency for GCG collection, the operating parameters (e.g., flow rate, ethanol concentration, and bed height) were optimized. We found that the best combination was the feed concentration at 20mg/mL, flow rate at 0.75 BV/h and the ratio of diameter to bed heights as 1:12. Under these conditions, the purity of GCG was 45% with a recovery of 89%. In order to obtain pure target, a second step was established using column chromatography with sephadex LH-20 gel and 55% ethanol-water solution as eluent. After this step, the purity of the GCG was 91% with a recovery of 68% finally.

Subacute oral toxicity of cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) water extract in SD rats

SummaryCamellia ptilophylla, known as cocoa tea, is a natural decaffeinated tea plant which has been proved with potential bioactivities. This study was carried out to evaluate the safety of green cocoa tea water extract (CWE) by determining its potential toxicity after subacute administration in SD rats. In the subacute toxicity study, oral administration of CWE up to 800 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 for twenty‐eight consecutive days did not cause either mortality or toxicity in SD rats, regardless of gender. There were no adverse effects in body weight, food consumption, relative organ weight, haematological parameters, clinical chemistry, gross pathology and histopathology between treatment and control groups. Several parameters (e.g. neutrophils%, Ca2+, total Ca) in CWE‐treated rats with high dosage were significantly different from the control groups, but still in a safety level. A dose of 800 mg kg−1 day−1 was identified as the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) in this study.

Transcriptomic analysis of Camellia ptilophylla and identification of genes associated with flavonoid and caffeine biosynthesis.

Camellia ptilophylla, or cocoa tea, is naturally decaffeinated and its predominant catechins and purine alkaloids are trans-catechins and theobromine Regular tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze.] is evolutionarily close to cocoa tea and produces cis-catechins and caffeine. Here, the transcriptome of C. ptilophylla was sequenced using the 101-bp paired-end technique. The quality of the raw data was assessed to yield 70,227,953 cleaned reads totaling 7.09 Gbp, which were assembled de novo into 56,695 unique transcripts and then clustered into 44,749 unigenes. In catechin biosynthesis, leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) catalyzes the transition of leucoanthocyanidin to trans-catechins, while anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) and anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) catalyze cis-catechin production. Our data demonstrate that two LAR genes (CpLAR1 and CpLAR2) by C. ptilophylla may be advantageous due to the combined effects of this quantitative trait, permitting increased leucoanthocyanidin consumption for the synthesis of trans-catechins. In contrast, the only ANS gene observed in C. sinensis (CsANS) shared high identity (99.2%) to one homolog from C. ptilophylla (CpANS1), but lower identity (~80%) to another (CpANS2). We hypothesized that the diverged CpANS2 might have lost its ability to synthesize cis-catechins. C. ptilophylla and C. sinensis each contain two copies of ANR, which share high identity and may share the same function. Transcriptomic sequencing captured two N-methyl nucleosidase genes named NMT1 and NMT2. NMT2 was highly identical to three orthologous genes TCS2, PCS2, and ICS2, which did not undergo methylation in vitro; in contrast, NMT1 was less identical to TCS, PCS and ICS, indicating that NMT1 may undergo neofunctionalization.

Anxiety Behaviour Displayed in C57BL/6J Mice Consuming Coffee and Cocoa, but not Observed in Mice Consuming Japanese Green Tea in a High Fat Diet Induced Obesity Model

It is now acknowledged that certain foods may affect mood and behavior. Recently, the food industry has seen a rise in foods containing beverages such as green tea cake, ice-cream, coffee biscuits as per the traditional chocolate as a food and cocoa beverage. Green tea has been suggested to exert numerous health properties, including anxiolytic properties (Vignes et. al. 2006), as does cocoa (i.e. migrane) (Savi et. al. 2002). Numerous studies have studied the consumption of these beverages (i.e. cocoa, coffee and green tea) for their anti-oxidant effect but few studies have included them in a feed format. In this study, mice were allotted into a 16 week treatment of a high-fat, high carbohydrate diet of varying treatments including 1) control diet (21% fat, 36.1% sucrose), 2) 2% cocoa (21% fat, 36.1% sucrose), 3) 2% coffee (21% fat, 36.1% sucrose) and 4) 2% green tea (21% fat, 36.1% sucrose). Subjects were offered the diets in a non-beverage feed format and fresh diet was offered daily. At week 16, the cocoa group mice displayed quicker entry time to dark areas, a greater (p&lt;0.05) amount of time spent in the dark box area and higher (p&lt;0.05) number of peeking events when compared with the control group. In addition, the coffee group mice displayed a higher (p&lt;0.05) re-entries from the light to the dark box area (i.e. anxiety like behavior/ agitation), whereas the green tea group did not display the same level of anxiety like behavior seen in the cocoa and coffee groups. This result may suggest an anxiolytic offset effect against caffeine in green tea versus coffee or another phytochemical component or body compositional changes when consuming a high fat, high sucrose diet.

Studies on the Effect of Polyphenol of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Seeds on Specific Carbohydrate-Degrading Enzymes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

This study focused on the investigation of the anti-hyperglycaemic potentials of polyphenols extracted from fermented and unfermented Theobroma cacao seeds in Wistar rats with a view to investigating the use of cocoa tea in the management of hyperglycaemic conditions. Fresh seeds of cocoa were collected, divided into two groups, a group was sun dried immediately for 7 days and used as unfermented seeds. The other group was fermented traditionally for 5 days; sun dried for 7 days and used as fermented seeds. The seeds (fermented and unfermented) were then ground to powder. The aqueous extracts of the seeds (fermented and fermented) were prepared, phytochemically screened; polyphenols were extracted with 80% (v/v) acetone from both extracts and assayed for α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. The polyphenols were termed fermented (FP) and unfermented (UP) respectively. Preliminary assays showed that the polyphenol of the fermented T. cacao seeds exhibited a higher α-amylase inhibitory potential of 99.25 ± 2.24 % at 400 µg/ ml (IC50 142.62 ± 6.03 µg/ ml) compared to the unfermented polyphenol 83.30 ± 6.25 % at 400 µg/ ml (IC50188.56 ± 15.32 µg/ ml), as such FP was used for further studies. The effects of the fermented polyphenols (150 mg/kg bwt and 300 mg//kg bwt) on total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities were examined in diabetic and non-diabetic rats. The results of the findings revealed that 150 mg/kg bwt fermented polyphenol proved to be more potent and efficient in reducing the activities of the carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, thus more anti-hyperglycaemic.

Interactions among chemical components of Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla Chang), a naturally low caffeine-containing tea species

In the 1980s, a novel tea species, Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla Chang), was discovered in Southern China with surprisingly low caffeine content (0.2% by dry weight). Although its health promoting characteristics have been known for a while, a very limited amount of scientific research has been focused on Cocoa tea. Herein, a systematic study on Cocoa tea and its chemical components, interactions and bioactivities was performed. YD tea (Yunnan Daye tea, Camellia sinensis), a tea species with a high caffeine content (5.8% by dry weight), was used as a control. By UV-Vis spectrometry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) for chemical composition analysis, C-2 epimeric isomers of tea catechins and theobromine were found to be the major catechins and methylxanthine in Cocoa tea, respectively. More gallated catechins, methylxanthines, and proteins were detected in Cocoa tea compared with YD tea. Moreover, the tendency of major components in Cocoa tea for precipitation was significantly higher than that in YD tea. Catechins, methylxanthines, proteins, iron, calcium, and copper were presumed to be the origins of molecular interactions in Cocoa tea and YD tea. The interactions between catechins and methylxanthines were highly related to the galloyl moiety in catechins and methyl groups in methylxanthines. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity assays revealed that Cocoa tea was a more potent inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) than YD tea. This study constructs a solid phytochemical foundation for further research on the mechanisms of molecular interactions and the integrated functions of Cocoa tea.

In vitro and in vivo mechanistic study of a novel proanthocyanidin, GC-(4→8)-GCG from cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) in antiangiogenesis

Angiogenesis, the process of blood vessel formation, is critical to tumor growth. Ant-angiogenic strategies demonstrated importance in cancer therapy. Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla), a naturally decaffeinated tea commonly consumed as a healthy drink in southern China, had recently been found to be a potential candidate for antiangiogenesis. A novel proanthocyanidin, GC-(4→8)-GCG, which consisted of gallocatechin and gallocatechin 3-O gallate moieties, was discovered and thought to be one of the effective candidates for antiangiogenesis. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the antiangiogenesis activities of GC-(4→8)-GCG in vitro and in vivo, and SU5416 was applied as a positive control. The inhibitory effects of GC-(4→8)-GCG on three important processes involved in angiogenesis, i.e., proliferation, migration and differentiation, were examined using human microvascular endothelial cell line HMEC-1 by MTT assay, scratch assay and tube formation assay, respectively. Using transgenic zebrafish embryos TG(fli1:EGFP)y1/+(AB) as an animal model of angiogenesis, the antiangiogenic effect of GC-(4→8)-GCG was further verified in vivo. Our results demonstrated that GC-(4→8)-GCG significantly inhibited migration (P<.001) and tubule formation (P<.001–.05) of HMEC-1 in dose-dependent manner. Regarding intracellular signal transduction, GC-(4→8)-GCG attenuated the phosphorylation of ERK, Akt and p38 dose-dependently in HMEC-1. In zebrafish embryo, the formation of new blood vessels was effectively inhibited by GC-(4→8)-GCG in a dose-dependent manner after 3 days of treatment (P<.001–.05). In conclusion, these results revealed that our novel proanthocyanidin, GC-(4→8)-GCG might be a potential and promising agent of natural resource to be further developed as an antiangiogenic agent.

Effect of Dietary Cocoa Tea (Camellia ptilophylla) Supplementation on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis, and Hyperlipidemia in Mice

Recent studies suggested that green tea has the potential to protect against diet-induced obesity. The presence of caffeine within green tea has caused limitations. Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) is a naturally decaffeinated tea plant. To determine whether cocoa tea supplementation results in an improvement in high-fat diet-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis, and whether such effects would be comparable to those of green tea extract, we studied six groups (n = 10) of C57BL/6 mice that were fed with (1) normal chow (N); (2) high-fat diet (21% butterfat + 0.15% cholesterol, wt/wt) (HF); (3) a high-fat diet supplemented with 2% green tea extract (HFLG); (4) a high-fat diet supplemented with 4% green tea extract (HFHG); (5) a high-fat diet supplemented with 2% cocoa tea extract (HFLC); and (6) a high-fat diet supplemented with 4% cocoa tea extract (HFHC). From the results, 2% and 4% dietary cocoa tea supplementation caused a dose-dependent decrease in (a) body weight, (b) fat pad mass, (c) liver weight, (d) total liver lipid, (e) liver triglyceride and cholesterol, and (f) plasma lipids (triglyceride and cholesterol). These data indicate that dietary cocoa tea, being naturally decaffeinated, has a beneficial effect on high-fat diet-induced obesity, hepatomegaly, hepatic steatosis, and elevated plasma lipid levels in mice, which are comparable to green tea. The present findings have provided the proof of concept that dietary cocoa tea might be of therapeutic value and could therefore provide a safer and cost effective option for patients with diet-induced metabolic syndrome.