ArticlePeerJ2020
Cocoa colonic phenolic metabolites are related to HDL-cholesterol raising effects and methylxanthine metabolites and insoluble dietary fibre to anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic effects in humans.
Article in PeerJ, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Health Impact of Cocoa from Cultivation to the Formation of Biogenic Amines: An Updated Review.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Metabolomic insights into variable antihistamine responses in allergic rhinitis: unveiling biomarkers for precision treatment.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Review on the Role of Polyphenols in Preventing and Treating Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Investigating the Underlying Mechanisms ofMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- From Cocoa to Chocolate: Effect of Processing on Flavanols and Methylxanthines and Their Mechanisms of Action.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- A Comprehensive Analysis of Microflora and Metabolites in the Development of Ulcerative Colitis into Colorectal Cancer Based on the Lung-Gut Correlation Theory.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Korean traditional foods as antiviral and respiratory disease prevention and treatments: A detailed review.Trends in food science & technology · 2021Review
- Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn many cocoa intervention studies, health outcomes are related to cocoa components without taking into account the bioavailability of the main bioactive components: phenolic compounds and methylxanthines.
methodsThe present work associates the results of bioavailability and randomised controlled crossover studies in humans carried out with similar cocoa products, so that the main phenol and methylxanthine metabolites observed in plasma and urine are associated to the health effects observed in the chronic studies. We outstand that doses of cocoa and consumption rate used are realistic. In the bioavailability study, a conventional (CC) and a methylxanthine-polyphenol rich (MPC) cocoa product were used, whereas in the chronic study a dietary fibre-rich (DFC) and a polyphenol-rich (PC) product were studied in healthy and cardiovascular risk subjects. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The main phenolic metabolites formed after CC and MPC intake, 5-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone-3'-sulfate, 3'-methyl-epicatechin-5-sulfate, 4-hydroxy-5-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)valeric acid-sulfate, 5-phenyl-γ-valerolactone--sulfate and 5-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone-3'-glucuronide, may contribute to the changes in cholesterol (and indirectly HDL-cholesterol) observed after the regular intake of both DFC and PC, in healthy and cardiovascular risk subjects, whereas 7-methylxanthine (the main cocoa methylxanthine metabolite) and theobromine, together with its content in insoluble dietary fibre, may be responsible for the decrease of IL-1β and hypoglycemic effects observed with DFC. With both phenolic and methylxanthine metabolites a strong dose-response effect was observed.
conclusionAfter the regular consumption of both DFC and PC, positive changes were observed in volunteer's lipid profile, which may be related to the long-lasting presence of colonic phenolic metabolites in blood. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic effects were only observed with DFC, and these may be related to methylxanthine metabolites, and it is likely that insoluble dietary fibre may have also played a role.
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