Isolation, comprehensive characterization and antioxidant activities of Theobroma cacao extract

High potential extracts from cocoa byproducts through sonotrode optimal extraction and a comprehensive characterization

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) and cocoa bean shell (CBS) are by-products obtained during pre-processing and processing of cocoa beans. Several bioactive compounds have been identified in these by-products that can be used for commercial applications as a way to promote the circular economy. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to recover bioactive compounds from CPH and CBS by sonoextraction process, to determine the type, content, and antioxidant activity in optimized extracts. To achieve our purpose, an optimization strategy using Box-Behnken Design coupled response surface methodology (MRS) was applied. The extraction conditions were optimized. The results obtained for CBS were: TPC (193 mg GAE/g), TEAC (1.02 mmol TE/g), FRAP (1.02 mmol FeSO4/g) and ORAC (2.6 mmol TE/g), while for CPH, the reported values were: TPC (48 mg GAE/g), TEAC (0.30 mmol TE/g), FRAP (0.35 mmol FeSO4/g) and ORAC (0.43 mmol TE/g) under the optimized conditions: Time (XA): 15 min, Amplitude (XB): 80 %, Ethanol (XC): 50 %. The LC-ESI-qTOF-MS analysis results allowed the identification of 79 compounds, of which 39 represent the CBS extract, while 40 compounds were identified in CPH extract. To conclude, sonotrode based extraction could be considered as an efficient and fast alternative for the recovery of bioactive substances from CBS and CPH.

Extraction Systems and Analytical Techniques for Food Phenolic Compounds: A Review

Phenolic compounds are highly valuable food components due to their potential utilisation as natural bioactive and antioxidant molecules for the food, cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. For this purpose, the development and optimisation of efficient extraction methods is crucial to obtain phenolic-rich extracts and, for some applications, free of interfering compounds. It should be accompanied with robust analytical tools that enable the standardisation of phenolic-rich extracts for industrial applications. New methodologies based on both novel extraction and/or analysis are also implemented to characterise and elucidate novel chemical structures and to face safety, pharmacology, and toxicity issues related to phenolic compounds at the molecular level. Moreover, in combination with multivariate analysis, the extraction and analysis of phenolic compounds offer tools for plant chemotyping, food traceability and marker selection in omics studies. Therefore, this study reviews extraction techniques applied to recover phenolic compounds from foods and agri-food by-products, including liquid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid extraction assisted by intensification technologies, solid-phase extraction, and combined methods. It also provides an overview of the characterisation techniques, including UV-Vis, infra-red, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry and others used in minor applications such as Raman spectroscopy and ion mobility spectrometry, coupled or not to chromatography. Overall, a wide range of methodologies are now available, which can be applied individually and combined to provide complementary results in the roadmap around the study of phenolic compounds.

Coffee's Phenolic Compounds. A general overview of the coffee fruit's phenolic composition

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites ubiquitously distributed in the plant kingdom which come in a wide array of molecular configurations which confer them a comprehensive set of chemical attributes such as, but not limited to: nutraceutical properties, industrial applications (e.g., dyes, rawhide processing, beer production, antioxidants), and plant self-defense mechanisms against natural enemies also known as the Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR).However, despite the fact, that there is a large number of phenolic-containing food products (e.g., chocolate, green tea, wines, beer, wood barrel-aged spirits, cherries, grapes, apples, peaches, plums, pears, etc.), coffee remains, in the western hemisphere, as the main source of dietary phenolic compounds reflected by the fact that, in the international market, coffee occupies the second trading position after oil and its derivatives. The following discussion is the product of an extensive review of scientific literature that aims to describe essential topics related to coffee phenolic compounds, especially chlorogenic acids, their purpose in nature, biosynthesis, determination, metabolism, chemical properties, and their effect on cup quality. Keywords: phenolic acids, caffeoylquinic acid, antioxidant capacity, metabolism, biosynthesis.

Phytochemical Profiling of the Leaf Extract of Ximenia americana var. caffra and Its Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antiaging Activities In Vitro and in Caenorhabditis elegans: A Cosmeceutical and Dermatological Approach

We previously annotated the phytochemical constituents of a root extract from Ximenia americana var. caffra and highlighted its hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic properties. We here extended our study on the leaf extract and identified its phytoconstituents using HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS. In addition, we explored its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiaging activities in vitro and in an animal model, Caenorhabditis elegans. Results from HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS confirmed that the leaves contain 23 secondary metabolites consisting of condensed tannins, flavonol glycosides, flavone glycosides, and flavonol diglycosides. The leaf extract demonstrated significant antioxidant activity in vitro with IC₅₀ value of 5 μg/mL in the DPPH assay and 18.32 μg/mL in the FRAP assay. It also inhibited four enzymes (collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase) crucially involved in skin remodeling and aging processes with comparable activities to reference drugs along with four pure secondary metabolites identified from the extract. In accordance with the in vitro result, in vivo tests using two transgenic strains of C. elegans demonstrated its ability to reverse oxidative stress. Evidence included an increased survival rate in nematodes treated with the prooxidant juglone to 68.9% compared to the 24.8% in untreated worms and a reduced accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a dose-dependent manner to 77.8%. The leaf extract also reduced levels of the expression of HSP 16.2 in a dose-dependent manner to 86.4%. Nuclear localization of the transcription factor DAF-16 was up to 10 times higher in worms treated with the leaf extract than in the untreated worms. The extract also inhibited the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a pathogen in skin infections) and reduced the swimming and swarming mobilities in a dose-dependent fashion. In conclusion, leaves of X. americana are a promising candidate for preventing oxidative stress-induced conditions, including skin aging.

In-Vitro Screenings for Biological and Antioxidant Activities of Water Extract from Theobroma cacao L. Pod Husk: Potential Utilization in Foods

Increasing production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) leads to a higher environmental burden due to its solid waste generation. Cocoa pod husk, one of the major solid wastes of cocoa production, contains rich bioactive compounds unveiling its valorization potential. With that in mind, our research aimed to explore the biological and antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from cocoa pod husks. In this present work, cocoa pod husk was extracted using water and subsequentially partitioned using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The antimicrobial investigation revealed that the ethyl acetate solubles were active against the Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, where at a 20% w/v concentration, the inhibition diameters were 6.62 ± 0.10, 6.52 ± 0.02, and 11.72 ± 0.36 mm, respectively. The extracts were found non-toxic proven by brine shrimp lethality tests against Artemia salina with LC50 scores ranging from 74.1 to 19,054.6 μg/mL. The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were obtained in the range of 47.44 to 570.44 mg/g GAE and 1.96 to 4.34 mg/g QE, respectively. Antioxidant activities of the obtained extracts were revealed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay with EC50 reached as low as 9.61 μg/mL by the ethyl acetate soluble. Phytochemical screening based on gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis on the sample with the highest antioxidant activities revealed the dominant presence of three phytosterols, namely gamma-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol.

Dynamics of cocoa fermentation and its effect on quality

Several research efforts on cocoa have been focused on parameters for controlling the transformation process to guarantee homogeneity and quality of cocoa beans, the main raw material in the chocolate industry. The main changes that determine the final quality of cocoa-and also the product's homogeneity-occur during fermentation, given the great number of factors that affect the process. This research seeks to identify the most relevant factors affecting quality in order to offer higher-quality and more homogeneous cocoa for the chocolate industry. The dynamics of the fermentation process were observed in three contrasting locations, monitoring different variables and evaluating the final quality of the cocoa. Results show that temperature and pH profile are the key factors to be monitored and controlled in order to achieve high-quality cocoa beans.

Characterization and Classification of Cocoa Bean Shells from Different Regions of Venezuela Using HPLC-PDA-MS/MS and Spectrophotometric Techniques Coupled to Chemometric Analysis

The cocoa bean shell (CBS) is one of the main cocoa byproducts with a prospective to be used as a functional food ingredient due to its nutritional and sensory properties. This study aims to define the chemical fingerprint of CBSs obtained from cocoa beans of diverse cultivars and collected in different geographical areas of Venezuela assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiodes array and mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS) and spectrophotometric assays combined with multivariate analysis for classification purposes. The study provides a comprehensive fingerprint and quantitative data for 39 compounds, including methylxanthines and several polyphenols, such as flavan-3-ols, procyanidins, and N-phenylpropenoyl amino acids. Several key cocoa markers, such as theobromine, epicatechin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, procyanidin_A pentoside_3, and N-coumaroyl-l-aspartate_2, were found suitable for the classification of CBS according to their cultivar and origin. Despite the screening methods required a previous purification of the sample, both methodologies appear to be suitable for the classification of CBS with a high correlation between datasets. Finally, preliminary findings on the identification of potential contributors for the radical scavenging activity of CBS were also accomplished to support the valorization of this byproduct as a bioactive ingredient in the production of functional foods.

PROMANCOA Modular Technology for the Valorization of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) and Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Agricultural Biowastes

PROMANCOA modular technology (PMT) aims at the development of modular agricultural biowaste valorization of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars within the concept of circular economy in agriculture management. The modular design includes four modules: (1) green raw material (GRM) selection and collection, (2) GRM processing, (3) GRM extraction, in order to obtain bioactive green extracts (BGE) and bioactive green ingredients (BGI), and (4) quality control, which lead to formula components for food, feed, nutraceutical and/or cosmeceutical products. PMT was applied to mango stem bark and tree branches, and cocoa pod husk and bean shells, from cultivars of mango and cocoa in provinces of the Dominican Republic (DR). PMT might be applied to other agricultural biowastes, where a potential of value-added BGE/BGI may be present. Alongside the market potential of these bioactive ingredients, the reduction of carbon dioxide and methane emissions of agricultural biowastes would be a significant contribution in order to reduce the greenhouse effect of these residuals.

New insights of phenolic compounds from optimized fruit extract of Ficus auriculata

In this study, the extraction conditions extracted maximize amounts of phenolic and bioactive compounds from the fruit extract of Ficus auriculata by using optimized response surface methodology. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated through the assay of radical scavenging ability on DPPH and ABTS as well as reducing power assays on total phenolic content (TPC). For the extraction purpose, the ultrasonic assisted extraction technique was employed. A second-order polynomial model satisfactorily fitted to the experimental findings concerning antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.968, P < 0.0001) and total phenolic content (R2 = 0.961, P < 0.0001), indicating a significant correlation between the experimental and expected value. The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was achieved 85.20 ± 0.96% at the optimum extraction parameters of 52.5% ethanol (v/v), 40.0 °C temperature, and 22 min extraction time. Alternatively, the highest yield of total phenolic content was found 31.65 ± 0.94 mg GAE/g DF at the optimum extraction conditions. From the LC-ESI-MS profiling of the optimized extract, 18 bioactive compounds were tentatively identified, which may regulate the antioxidant activity of fruits of F. auriculata.

Bioavailability and radical scavenging power of phenolic compounds of cocoa and coffee mixtures

Cocoa and coffee are natural sources of phenolic compounds, which are degraded during beans processing of both. For this reason, there is an interest in obtaining extracts of these bio compounds. The aim of this study was uncovering the radical scavenging activity (AC) of mixtures of cocoa and coffee extracts, and the bioavailability of their phenolic compounds, resorting to in vitro models: DPPH and ORAC antioxidant methods, and the characterization of the trans-epithelial transport of cocoa and coffee phenolics through Caco-2 cells monolayer model of the intestinal barrier. The cocoa displayed a higher AC than the coffee regarding both DPPH and ORAC assays, while the mixtures increased in parallel with the percentage of cocoa in the blends. The combination index was calculated to set up the type of interaction in the cocoa-coffee mixtures, obtaining that the mixture 25:75 was moderately antagonistic, 50:50 nearly additive, and 75:25 slightly synergistic. The absorption efficiency of the cocoa phenolic compounds was between 87.9%-97.4%, in the coffee compounds was 100%. The mixtures varied according to the proportion of cocoa and coffee. The results obtained allowed concluding that the phenolic compounds present in cocoa and coffee, respectively, are featured by high bioavailability and a valuable antioxidant capacity, while no pattern was found in the mixtures concerning the real benefit of using them combined.

LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Phenolics from Custard Apple Fruit and By-Products

Custard apple is an edible fruit grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Due to its abundant nutrient content and perceived health benefits, it is a popular food for consumption and is utilized as a medicinal aid. Although some published research had provided the phenolic compound of custard apple, the comprehensive phenolic profiling of Australian grown custard apple is limited. Hence, this research aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant potential by various phenolic content and antioxidant assays, followed by characterization and quantification of the phenolic profile using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA. African Pride peel had the highest value in TPC (61.69 ± 1.48 mg GAE/g), TFC (0.42 ± 0.01 mg QE/g) and TTC (43.25 ± 6.70 mg CE/g), followed by Pink’s Mammoth peel (19.37 ± 1.48 mg GAE/g for TPC, 0.27 ± 0.03 mg QE/g for TFC and 10.25 ± 1.13 mg CE/g for TTC). African Pride peel also exhibited the highest antioxidant potential for TAC (43.41 ± 1.66 mg AAE/g), FRAP (3.60 ± 0.14 mg AAE/g) and ABTS (127.67 ± 4.60 mg AAE/g), whereas Pink’s Mammoth peel had the highest DPPH (16.09 ± 0.34 mg AAE/g), RPA (5.32 ± 0.14 mg AAE/g), •OH-RSA (1.23 ± 0.25 mg AAE/g) and FICA (3.17 ± 0.18 mg EDTA/g). LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS experiment successfully characterized 85 phenolic compounds in total, encompassing phenolic acids (20), flavonoids (42), stilbenes (4), lignans (6) and other polyphenols (13) in all three parts (pulp, peel and seeds) of custard apple. The phenolic compounds in different portions of custard apples were quantified by HPLC-PDA, and it was shown that African Pride peel had higher concentrations of the most abundant phenolics. This is the first study to provide the comprehensive phenolic profile of Australian grown custard apples, and the results highlight that each part of custard apple can be a rich source of phenolics for the utilization of custard apple fruit and waste in the food, animal feeding and nutraceutical industries.

The Role of High-Resolution Analytical Techniques in the Development of Functional Foods

The approaches based on high-resolution analytical techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance or mass spectrometry coupled to chromatographic techniques, have a determining role in several of the stages necessary for the development of functional foods. The analyses of botanical extracts rich in bioactive compounds is one of the fundamental steps in order to identify and quantify their phytochemical composition. However, the compounds characterized in the extracts are not always responsible for the bioactive properties because they generally undergo metabolic reactions before reaching the therapeutic targets. For this reason, analytical techniques are also applied to analyze biological samples to know the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and/or metabolism of the compounds ingested by animal or human models in nutritional intervention studies. In addition, these studies have also been applied to determine changes of endogenous metabolites caused by prolonged intake of compounds with bioactive potential. This review aims to describe the main types and modes of application of high-resolution analytical techniques in all these steps for functional food development.

Antioxidative and Immunomodulatory Potential of the Endemic French Guiana Wild Cocoa "Guiana"

Guiana is a little-known and endemic variety of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), native to French Guiana. No data were available regarding its chemical composition and biological properties; therefore, a study was necessary, using Forastero as a reference. To exemplify biological activities of the cacao species, cocoa extracts were evaluated by antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, ORAC) and anti-inflammatory assays. Our results showed that raw Guiana presented equivalent DPPH and FRAP activities, but a 1.3-fold higher antioxidant activity (1097 ± 111.8 μM ET/g DM) than Forastero (838.5 ± 67.8 μM ET/g DM) in ORAC assay. Furthermore, the impact of fermentation (under four conditions: unfermented, two days, four days and six days of fermentation) on Guiana cocoa beans composition and health properties was also studied. Indeed, fermentation, a key step necessary to obtain the taste and color of chocolate, is generally known to alter bean composition and modulate its health benefits. At six days, the fermentation process led to a nearly 25% lower antioxidative capacity in various assays. Moreover, in inflammation-induced macrophage assays, Guiana and Forastero unfermented extracts induced a 112% stimulation in TNF-α production, and a 56.8% inhibition of IL-6 production. Fermentation altered the cocoa composition by diminishing bioactive compounds, which could be responsible for these biological activities. Indeed, after six days of fermentation, compounds decreased from 614.1 ± 39.3 to 332.3 ± 29 mg/100 g DM for epicatechin, from 254.1 ± 14.8 to 129.5 ± 20.7 mg/100 g DM for procyanidin B2 and from 178.4 ± 23.5 to 81.7 ± 2.9 mg/100 g DM for procyanidin C1. The similar composition and the equivalent or higher antioxidant activity of Guiana leads us to propose it as an alternative to Forastero.

Functional ingredient from avocado peel: Microwave-assisted extraction, characterization and potential applications for the food industry

Avocado peel is a by-product obtained in high amounts in the food industry with no further applications despite its richness in bioactive compounds. In this context, an efficient "green" microwave assisted extraction (MAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction of bioactive polyphenols. Moreover, the phenolic composition of the developed green avocado extract was characterized by HPLC coupled to MS analysers and the potential applications for the food industry were studied assaying different bioactivities. Thus, the matrix metalloproteinases inhibition, the antioxidant capacity and the antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold were tested. The results pointed out both, high matrix metalloproteinases inhibitory capacity and antioxidant activity of avocado peel MAE extract. These findings suggest the potential food industry applications of this extract as natural food preservative, functional food ingredient or nutraceuticals with antioxidant and anti-aging activities.

Ruby chocolate: A study of its phytochemical composition and quantitative comparison with dark, milk and white chocolate

Ruby chocolate was introduced in 2017 as the fourth type of chocolate, in addition to white, milk and dark chocolate. However, until now not much is reported about its phytochemical composition. Therefore, we analyzed ruby chocolate by UPLC-HRMS, together with the three other types of chocolate. Feature-based molecular networking was carried out to aid in the identification, while a set of 51 reference compounds were analyzed simultaneously for targeted quantification. In this way, a total of 54 compounds could be (tentatively) identified in the chocolates, of which 43 were found in the ruby chocolate. Moreover, 19 compounds were quantified, of which 13 in the ruby chocolate. The compounds include flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins and methylxanthines, but also biogenic amines and alkaloids. In general, ruby chocolate contained lower levels of these constituents compared to dark chocolate. However, A-type proanthocyanidins were found to be characteristic for the ruby chocolate.

LC-MS and Spectrophotometric Approaches for Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds from Peru Cocoa By-Products for Commercial Applications

Peru is one of the main areas where there are large cocoa crops with special relevance to the economy of this country. In fact, cocoa is a major, economically important, international crop which has been linked to several benefits, such as anti-allergenic, anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic, cardioprotective and vasodilatory properties, relating to its bioactive compound content. However, in cocoa industrial processing, several residues or wastes, which are commonly discarded generating a negative impact on the environment, are produced in large amounts. Some of the cocoa by-products, which go underutilized, could be a good source of bioactive compounds with high utility for the development of innovative products in nutraceutical, medical or pharmaceutical industries. For this reason, the aim of this study is to qualitatively determine the phytochemical composition of husk and bean extracts from different cocoa-growing areas and processes from Peru by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we aim to evaluate their phenolic and flavan-3-ol contents and antioxidant capacities for the purpose of highlighting the potential of cocoa by-products from these cultivars as functional ingredients. In total, 49 chemical compounds were detected in the analyzed extracts. Comparing both husks and beans, bean extracts were characterized by high content in flavonoids whereas husk extracts had a higher content of phenolic acids. The presence of these compounds together with the bioactivity results suggest that these matrices may be further studied for their revaluation in the development of high added-value products in nutraceutical, medical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Traditional Mexican foods as functional agents in the treatment of cardiometabolic risk factors

Major cardiometabolic risk phenotypes include insulin resistance (IR), hyperinsulinemia, overweight, obesity and dyslipidemia, which contribute to the current prevalent chronic disease pandemia worldwide. Among traditional treatments, dietary habits represent one of the most difficult and controversial aspects to implement in handling metabolic disturbances. The use of herbal remedies by latinos and hispanics, as part of self-care of metabolic diseases has been well documented in several studies, mainly because they are "natural", consistent with their culture, family-related, accessible, and affordable. Phytochemicals are present in fruits, vegetables and various plants, and constitute nonessential nutrients such as vitamins or minerals, many of them being consumed in a popular way or used as herbal remedies or dietary supplements. In this narrative review, we present evidence on traditional endemic Mexican foods such as cacao, corn, common bean, prickle pear, chili, avocado and salba-chia as functional agents to improve the metabolic status in risk phenotypes.

Antioxidant Effect of Cocoa By-Product and Cherry Polyphenol Extracts: A Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of cherry and cocoa extracts consumption to protect cells from oxidative stress, paying particular attention to cocoa by-products. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of cocoa husk extract (CHE) and cherry extracts (CE) against ROS-induced oxidative stress in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs).

METHODS

CE and CHE had antioxidant activity characterized by total polyphenols content (TPC). HUVECs were treated for 2 h and 24 h with increasing TPC concentrations of CE and CHE (5-10-25-50-100 µg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/mL) and then with H2O2 for 1 h. Cell viability and ROS production were evaluated. CE and CHE polyphenols permeability on excised rat intestine were also studied.

RESULTS

CE and CHE showed a similar antioxidant activity (2.5 ± 0.01 mmol Fe2+/100 g FW (fresh weight) and 2.19 ± 0.09 mmol Fe2+/100 g FW, respectively, p > 0.05) whereas CHE had a higher TPC (7105.0 ± 96.9 mg GAE/100 g FW) than CE (402.5 ± 8.4 mg GAE/100 g), p < 0.05. The in vitro viability assay showed that both extracts were non-cytotoxic. CHE resulted in protection against ROS at lower concentrations than CE. CHE showed a 2-fold higher apparent permeability compared to CE.

CONCLUSIONS

CHE represents a high-value antioxidant source, which is interesting for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Effect of Cacao Nip Extracts (CEs) on Quality Characteristics of Pork Patties during Cold Storage Period

Cacao has been shown to have antioxidant effects and health benefits. However, the applicability of cacao as a meat preservative has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we examined the effects of cacao nib extracts (CEs) on suppression of fat oxidation and enhancement of quality characteristics of pork patties. Cacao nib powder was extracted in distilled water or 50%, 70%, or 99% ethanol. CEs prepared using 70% ethanol had the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, and the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhytdrazyl radical and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities. Decompression-concentrated CEs prepared using 70% ethanol and 0.1% ascorbic acid were added to pork patties, and the physiochemical properties of the patties were measured. The pH of all pork patties increased during storage, but tended to decrease according to the CEs content. CEs enhanced the preservation of redness and texture of the pork patties during storage. Analysis of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in patties revealed that fat oxidation was highly suppressed in all treatment groups containing CEs during storage, and TBARS values decreased according to CE content. Treatment with 0.1% CE reduced fat oxidation to a level similar to that of treatment with 0.1% ascorbic acid. Consumer flavor preference increased according to CE content, and overall preference was the highest for patties prepared with 0.05% and 0.075% CEs. Overall, 70% ethanol was found to be the optimal concentration for extraction of cacao nibs, and adding 0.05% or 0.075% CEs to pork patties yielded the highest quality.

Relationships Between Chemical Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Isolated Phytocompounds from Lemon Verbena

Over the last few years, people have been concerned about the narrow relationship between nutrition and health leading to an increasing demand of nutraceutical products and functional food. Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora Kunth) has been traditionally used for respiratory, digestive, and muscular diseases, showing effects that are promoted by the antioxidant activity of its phytoconstituents. The antioxidant power of several lemon verbena extracts has been tested but its isolated compounds activity has not been described. The aim of the present work was to isolate phytochemicals from a commercial lemon verbena extract through a semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography approach for further evaluation of its individual antioxidant activity using three different methods. The structure-antioxidant activity relationships revealed the influence of substitutions in the strong antioxidant power exerted by glycosylated phenylpropanoids, in contrast to the low antioxidant capacity showed by iridoids. Development of enriched extracts in these compounds could lead to greater antioxidant effects and improved functional ingredients to prevent chronic diseases.

Biocompounds Content Prediction in Ecuadorian Fruits Using a Mathematical Model

Anthocyanins, carotenoids and polyphenols are biomolecules that give the characteristic color to fruits. Carotenoids relate to yellow, orange and red colors whereas anthocyanins and polyphenols mainly relate to purple and red colors. Presently, standard determination of antioxidants is carried out using relatively complex methods and techniques. The aim of this study was to develop a mathematical prediction model to relate the internal color parameters of the Amazonic fruits araza (Eugenia stipitata Mc Vaugh), Andean fruit blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth), Andean blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth), goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.), naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam.), and tamarillo (Solanum betaceum Cav.) to their respective anthocyanins, carotenoids and polyphenols contents. The mathematical model was effective in predicting the total anthocyanins content (TAC), the total carotenoids content (TCC) and finally the total phenolic content (TPC) of fruits assayed. Andean blueberry presented a TPC with an experimental value of 7254.62 (mg GAE/100 g sample) with respect to a TPC prediction value of 7315.73 (mg GAE/100 g sample). Andean blackberry presented a TAC with an experimental value of 1416.69 (mg chloride cyanidin 3-glucoside/100 g) with respect to a prediction TAC value of 1413 (mg chloride cyanidin 3-glucoside/100 g).

Impact of Cocoa Products Intake on Plasma and Urine Metabolites: A Review of Targeted and Non-Targeted Studies in Humans

Cocoa is continuously drawing attention due to growing scientific evidence suggesting its effects on health. Flavanols and methylxanthines are some of the most important bioactive compounds present in cocoa. Other important bioactives, such as phenolic acids and lactones, are derived from microbial metabolism. The identification of the metabolites produced after cocoa intake is a first step to understand the overall effect on human health. In general, after cocoa intake, methylxanthines show high absorption and elimination efficiencies. Catechins are transformed mainly into sulfate and glucuronide conjugates. Metabolism of procyanidins is highly influenced by the polymerization degree, which hinders their absorption. The polymerization degree over three units leads to biotransformation by the colonic microbiota, resulting in valerolactones and phenolic acids, with higher excretion times. Long term intervention studies, as well as untargeted metabolomic approaches, are scarce. Contradictory results have been reported concerning matrix effects and health impact, and there are still scientific gaps that have to be addresed to understand the influence of cocoa intake on health. This review addresses different cocoa clinical studies, summarizes the different methodologies employed as well as the metabolites that have been identified in plasma and urine after cocoa intake.

Enhancing the Yield of Bioactive Compounds from Sclerocarya birrea Bark by Green Extraction Approaches

Sclerocarya birrea is a tree indigenous to Southern Africa with significant importance in rural livelihoods for food, medicine, and carving. The bark, which contains 10⁻20% tannin, provides several pharmacological benefits as an antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-atherogenic, and antioxidant medication, among others. This study compared different extraction techniques used to recover bioactive compounds from marula bark. For this purpose, solid⁻liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were performed under selected conditions, using only "food-grade" solvents. The potential use of the proposed extraction methodologies was evaluated in term of yield, and the individual phenolic composition determined by HPLC⁻ESI⁻TOF⁻MS. PLE provided a high extraction yield in all experimental conditions. With regard to bioactive compounds composition, a total of 71 compounds, a significant percentage of which in a galloyl form, were distributed in five major categories. The largest number of compounds, mostly flavonoid aglycones, were extracted by PLE, generally when the extraction was developed at low temperatures. SFE did prove effective as a way of extracting antidiabetic proanthocyanidins. Advanced extraction techniques represent a powerful tool to obtain bioactive compounds from S. birrea bark, which can be used as supplements or food ingredients, promoting the valorization of this crop.

Fast Discrimination of Chocolate Quality Based on Average-Mass-Spectra Fingerprints of Cocoa Polyphenols

This work aims to sort cocoa beans according to chocolate sensory quality and phenolic composition. Prior to the study, cocoa samples were processed into chocolate in a standard manner, and then the chocolate was characterized by sensory analysis, allowing sorting of the samples into four sensory groups. Two objectives were set: first to use average mass spectra as quick cocoa-polyphenol-extract fingerprints and second to use those fingerprints and chemometrics to select the molecules that discriminate chocolate sensory groups. Sixteen cocoa polyphenol extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-low-resolution mass spectrometry. Averaging each mass spectrum provided polyphenolic fingerprints, which were combined into a matrix and processed with chemometrics to select the most meaningful molecules for discrimination of the chocolate sensory groups. Forty-four additional cocoa samples were used to validate the previous results. The fingerprinting method proved to be quick and efficient, and the chemometrics highlighted 29 m/ z signals of known and unknown molecules, mainly flavan-3-ols, enabling sensory-group discrimination.

Bioactive Compounds from Theobroma cacao: Effect of Isolation and Safety Evaluation

Plants, including most food and feed plants, produce a broad range of bioactive chemical compounds. Among these compounds, polyphenols are reported to provide beneficial effects as anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, immune modulating, anti-microbial, vasodilatory and analgesic. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), a major, economically important, international crop, has been related to several nutritional benefits, which have been associated with the phenolic fraction. The main subclass of flavonoids found in cocoa is flavanols, particularly (epi)catechins monomers, and their oligomers, also known as procyanidins. In this study, these compounds were isolated by different methodologies as solid phase extraction (SPE), semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and membrane technologies to obtain different polyphenolic profiles by HPLC coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) and to test their cytotoxicity. Finally, different polyphenolic profiles were collected, where the combination of both semi-preparative HPLC and SPE technologies provided the most purified fractions. Filtration with membranes and SPE provide extracts with different composition depending on the pore size of membranes and on the solvent, respectively. In addition, the results of toxicity assay indicated low levels in all fractions.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Monguba (Pachira aquatica) Seeds

Monguba fruit has a seed with a chestnut-like flavor that can be consumed boiled, fried, and roasted. These nutritious seeds also have been used in popular medicine to treat several diseases. Nevertheless, the nutritional and functional potential of monguba seed is still underexploited. In this sense, we investigated the nutritional and functional components of monguba seeds. These seeds showed high total content of sugars, mainly sucrose, whereas the content of the raffinose family oligosaccharides was low. The mineral assay showed high amount of minerals, namely potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc, which indicate that monguba seeds can be a new source of these minerals. UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis showed caffeic, ferulic and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids as the main phenolic compounds, mainly in the esterified form, in these seeds. Monguba seed showed high lipid content, in which the main compounds were palmitic acid and γ-tocopherol. The soluble and insoluble phenolic fractions from monguba seeds showed high antioxidant activity measured by the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Therefore, the monguba seeds have great potential to be explored by food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to their chemical composition.

Polyphenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts from Uncaria tomentosa Bark and Leaves

Uncaria tomentosa constitutes an important source of secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities mainly attributed until recently to alkaloids and triterpenes. We have previously reported for the first-time the polyphenolic profile of extracts from U. tomentosa, using a multi-step process involving organic solvents, as well as their antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity on aerial bacteria, and cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines. These promising results prompted the present study using food grade solvents suitable for the elaboration of commercial extracts. We report a detailed study on the polyphenolic composition of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of U. tomentosa bark and leaves (n = 16), using High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD/TQ-ESI-MS). A total of 32 compounds were identified, including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols monomers, procyanidin dimers and trimers, flavalignans⁻cinchonains and propelargonidin dimers. Our findings showed that the leaves were the richest source of total phenolics and proanthocyanidins, in particular propelargonidin dimers. Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that the contents of procyanidin and propelargonidin dimers were significantly different (p < 0.05) in function of the plant part, and leaves extracts showed higher contents. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhidrazyl (DPPH) values indicated higher antioxidant capacity for the leaves (p < 0.05). Further, correlation between both methods and procyanidin dimers was found, particularly between ORAC and propelargonidin dimers. Finally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) analysis results clearly indicated that the leaves are the richest plant part in proanthocyanidins and a very homogenous material, regardless of their origin. Therefore, our findings revealed that both ethanol and water extraction processes are adequate for the elaboration of potential commercial extracts from U. tomentosa leaves rich in proanthocyanidins and exhibiting high antioxidant activity.

Characterization of new flavan-3-ol derivatives in fermented cocoa beans

Two series of compounds showing mass signals at m/z 605 and 893 (negative ionization mode) have been detected in fermented cocoa beans. This study objective is to identify these mass signals and characterize their structure in fermented cocoa samples. Our hypothesis is that these signals may correspond to ethyl-bridged flavan-3-ols resulting from flavan-3-ol condensation with acetaldehyde which is a microbial metabolite. Mass spectrometry was used to compare the retention times and mass fragmentation patterns between a model solution using epicatechin and procyanidin dimer B2, the major flavan-3-ols of cocoa, as precursors and extracts of fermented cocoa. Their identification was confirmed: four isomers of ethyl-linked epicatechin as well as several isomers of epicatechin-ethyl-procyanidin B2, in which B2 was mostly linked through its upper unit, were characterized in cocoa. This study demonstrates the presence of flavan-3-ol acetaldehyde condensation products in fermented cocoa beans and provides the first report of epicatechin-ethyl-procyanidin B2.

Different behavior of polyphenols in energy metabolism of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells

Energy metabolism is one of the main sources of reactive oxygen species leading to oxidation and inflammation in pathophysiological processes. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines from knock-out mice for paraoxonase-1 and from transgenic mice overexpressing monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were obtained as model of pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory scenarios. Theobroma cacao and Lippia citriodora (worldwide consumed and common ingredient of many food products) were tested in these cell models to assess the action of polyphenols in the energy management. Our metabolomics experiments show a different behavior of polyphenols: T. cacao extract partially reverts the effect of LPS in a pro-oxidant scenario through the antioxidant properties of theobromine, flavonols and procyanidins, while L. citriodora seems to act mainly in a pro-inflammatory cell model through the action of verbascoside decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and MCP-1. Nevertheless, the action of polyphenols cannot be attributed only to a mechanism of action but the sum of different modulations in biological pathways. The capacity of both plant extracts to decrease α-ketoglutarate levels merits special attention due to the implications in future medicine. The action of polyphenols modulating oxidative stress, cytokine production and epigenetic changes make an interesting source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical or functional food purposes.

Comprehensive identification of bioactive compounds of avocado peel by liquid chromatography coupled to ultra-high-definition accurate-mass Q-TOF

Industrially the avocado pulp is exploited principally as oil and paste, generating a huge quantity of peel and seed as by-products. Avocado peel is a promising inexpensive candidate for recovery phenolic compounds. The aim of this work was to identify the bioactive compounds present in an extract of avocado peel obtained by a green extraction technique. Accelerated solvent extraction was performed using water and ethanol as extraction solvents. Liquid chromatography coupled to ultra-high-definition accurate-mass spectrometry was used in order to identify the bioactive compounds. A total of sixty-one compounds belonging to eleven families were identified. Procyanidins, flavonols, hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids were the most common compounds. A sum of thirty-five compounds has been identified here for the first time in avocado peel. These results confirm the potential of avocado peel as a source of bioactive ingredients for its use in the food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical sector.

Comprehensive characterization of phenolic and other polar compounds in the seed and seed coat of avocado by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS

Avocado seed and seed coat are important by-products from avocado industrialization, with important functional properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the phenolic profile and other polar compounds of avocado seed and seed coat using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and liquid chromatography coupled to Ultra-High-Definition Accurate-Mass Q-TOF. In this research 84 compounds were identified, within eight subclass group, among these 45 phenolic compounds were identified for first time in avocado seed. Condensed tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids were the most representative groups in both samples. As far as we are concerned, this is the first time that avocado seed coat has been studied regarding its phenolic compounds using such a powerful instrumental technique. In addition, the radical-scavenging activities were analysed in order to estimate the antioxidant potential of extracts. These results point out that avocado seed and seed coat constitute a source of bioactive ingredients for its use in the food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical sector.

Phenolic compounds as natural and multifunctional anti-obesity agents: A review

Prevalence of obesity worldwide has reached pandemic proportions. Despite the increasing evidence in the implication of phenolic compounds in obesity management, the real effect is not completely understood. The available in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the implication of phenolic compounds in: lowering food intake, decreasing lipogenesis, increasing lipolysis, stimulating fatty acids β-oxidation, inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and growth, attenuating inflammatory responses and suppress oxidative stress. This review encompasses the most recent evidence in the anti-obesity effect of phenolic compounds from plants to different nutraceuticals and functional foods based on the in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. For that, this review has been focused on popular plant-based products highly consumed today such as cocoa, cinnamon, and olive oil, beverages such as red wine, tea (green, white and black tea) and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea, among others.