Circulating Structurally Related (-)-Epicatechin Metabolite Species and Levels after Sustained Intake of a Cocoa Powder High in Polyphenols Are Comparable to Those Achieved after a Single Dose

Comparison of Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidants, and Aroma Profiles of Water- and Sodium-Hydroxide-Treated Natural Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder alkalization is an essential process in chocolate manufacturing, and traditionally, this process involves the use of alkaline agents, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), and potassium carbonate (K2CO3). However, these methods involve harsh chemicals and energy-intensive procedures, raising significant environmental concerns. Water (H2O) has emerged as a promising alternative due to its safety, minimally harmful byproducts, and accessibility. Green chemistry principles have gained importance across industries, especially in food production, where sustainable practices are highly valued. This study aimed to develop a greener process by investigating the alkalization potential of H2O and comparing the results with those of NaOH. The particle size distribution, pH, color, antioxidant capacity, phenolic composition, and aroma profile of cocoa powders treated with H2O and NaOH were evaluated. The alkalization temperature significantly affected the color of the cocoa powders, and the alkali solution ratio influenced the L* values of H2O-treated powders. In industrial and commercial specifications, an ΔE value below 3 is considered standard for color measurements. Both H2O-treated and NaOH-treated natural cocoa powders had ΔE values exceeding 3 compared to the untreated powder, indicating that H2O treatment darkens the color in a similar way to that of traditional methods. While NaOH produced a darker color, process optimization allowed both H2O and NaOH treatments to achieve similar color attributes (ΔE < 3). Significant differences were observed in the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content (TPC) between the H2O-treated and NaOH-treated cocoa powders. H2O treatment positively impacted the antioxidative properties of the cocoa powder. The antioxidant capacity, measured by the DPPH and CUPRAC methods, was significantly higher in H2O-treated samples (295.5-317.7 TEAC mg/100 g and 835-1542 TEAC mg/100 g, respectively) compared to NaOH-treated samples (256.6-306.2 TEAC mg/100 g and 171-849 TEAC mg/100 g, respectively). Additionally, the TPC of H2O-treated cocoa powder [281.3-321.6 gallic acid equivalent (GAE) mg/100 g] was significantly higher than that of NaOH-treated powder (100.0-298.6 GAE mg/100 g). The significant differences in the phenolic profiles suggested that the alkalization process affects individual phenolic compounds differently. Moreover, H2O-treated cocoa powders had significantly higher trimethylpyrazine/tetramethylpyrazine (TrMP/TMP) ratios than those of NaOH-treated samples, indicating notable differences in aroma profiles. This study suggests that H2O can replace NaOH in the alkalization process of the cocoa industry, particularly for lightly treated alkalized cocoa powders that maintain high antioxidant activity and TrMP/TMP ratios. This offers a more environmentally friendly, easily manageable, and sustainable process for cocoa powder alkalization.

Mass spectrometry as a lens into molecular human nutrition and health

Mass spectrometry (MS) has developed over the last decades into the most informative and versatile analytical technology in molecular and structural biology (). The platform enables discovery, identification, and characterisation of non-volatile biomolecules, such as proteins, peptides, DNA, RNA, nutrients, metabolites, and lipids at both speed and scale and can elucidate their interactions and effects. The versatility, robustness, and throughput have rendered MS a major research and development platform in molecular human health and biomedical science. More recently, MS has also been established as the central tool for 'Molecular Nutrition', enabling comprehensive and rapid identification and characterisation of macro- and micronutrients, bioactives, and other food compounds. 'Molecular Nutrition' thereby helps understand bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioefficacy of macro- and micronutrients and related health effects. Hence, MS provides a lens through which the fate of nutrients can be monitored along digestion via absorption to metabolism. This in turn provides the bioanalytical foundation for 'Personalised Nutrition' or 'Precision Nutrition' in which design and development of diets and nutritional products is tailored towards consumer and patient groups sharing similar genetic and environmental predisposition, health/disease conditions and lifestyles, and/or objectives of performance and wellbeing. The next level of integrated nutrition science is now being built as 'Systems Nutrition' where public and personal health data are correlated with life condition and lifestyle factors, to establish directional relationships between nutrition, lifestyle, environment, and health, eventually translating into science-based public and personal heath recommendations and actions. This account provides a condensed summary of the contributions of MS to a precise, quantitative, and comprehensive nutrition and health science and sketches an outlook on its future role in this fascinating and relevant field.

Bioactive compounds for human and planetary health

Bioactive compounds found in edible plants and foods are vital for human and planetary health, yet their significance remains underappreciated. These natural bioactives, as part of whole diets, ingredients, or supplements, can modulate multiple aspects of human health and wellness. Recent advancements in omic sciences and computational biology, combined with the development of Precision Nutrition, have contributed to the convergence of nutrition and medicine, as well as more efficient and affordable healthcare solutions that harness the power of food for prevention and therapy. Innovation in this field is crucial to feed a growing global population sustainably and healthily. This requires significant changes in our food system, spanning agriculture, production, distribution and consumption. As we are facing pressing planetary health challenges, investing in bioactive-based solutions is an opportunity to protect biodiversity and the health of our soils, waters, and the atmosphere, while also creating value for consumers, patients, communities, and stakeholders. Such research and innovation targets include alternative proteins, such as cellular agriculture and plant-derived protein; natural extracts that improve shelf-life as natural preservatives; upcycling of agricultural by-products to reduce food waste; and the development of natural alternatives to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Translational research and innovation in the field of natural bioactives are currently being developed at two levels, using a systems-oriented approach. First, at the biological level, the interplay between these compounds and the human host and microbiome is being elucidated through omics research, big data and artificial intelligence, to accelerate both discovery and validation. Second, at the ecosystem level, efforts are focused on producing diverse nutrient-rich, flavorful, and resilient, yet high-yield agricultural crops, and educating consumers to make informed choices that benefit both their health and the planet. Adopting a system-oriented perspective helps: unravel the intricate and dynamic relationships between bioactives, nutrition, and sustainability outcomes, harnessing the power of nature to promote human health and wellbeing; foster sustainable agriculture and protect the ecosystem. Interdisciplinary collaboration in this field is needed for a new era of research and development of practical food-based solutions for some of the most pressing challenges humanity and our planet are facing today.

Prediction, Discovery, and Characterization of Plant- and Food-Derived Health-Beneficial Bioactive Peptides

Nature may have the answer to many of our questions about human, animal, and environmental health. Natural bioactives, especially when harvested from sustainable plant and food sources, provide a plethora of molecular solutions to nutritionally actionable, chronic conditions. The spectrum of these conditions, such as metabolic, immune, and gastrointestinal disorders, has changed with prolonged human life span, which should be matched with an appropriately extended health span, which would in turn favour more sustainable health care: "adding years to life and adding life to years". To date, bioactive peptides have been undervalued and underexploited as food ingredients and drugs. The future of translational science on bioactive peptides-and natural bioactives in general-is being built on (a) systems-level rather than reductionist strategies for understanding their interdependent, and at times synergistic, functions; and (b) the leverage of artificial intelligence for prediction and discovery, thereby significantly reducing the time from idea and concept to finished solutions for consumers and patients. This new strategy follows the path from benefit definition via design to prediction and, eventually, validation and production.