Radical Scavenging and Cellular Antioxidant Activity of the Cocoa Shell Phenolic Compounds after Simulated Digestion

Abstract

The cocoa industry generates a considerable quantity of cocoa shell, a by-product with high levels of methylxanthines and phenolic compounds. Nevertheless, the digestion process can extensively modify these compounds’ bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity as a consequence of their transformation. Hence, this work’s objective was to assess the influence of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the concentration of phenolic compounds found in the cocoa shell flour (CSF) and the cocoa shell extract (CSE), as well as to investigate their radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity in both intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells. The CSF and the CSE exhibited a high amount of methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine) and phenolic compounds, mainly gallic acid and (+)-catechin, which persisted through the course of the simulated digestion. Gastrointestinal digestion increased the antioxidant capacity of the CSF and the CSE, which also displayed free radical scavenging capacity during the simulated digestion. Neither the CSF nor the CSE exhibited cytotoxicity in intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) or hepatic (HepG2) cells. Moreover, they effectively counteracted oxidative stress triggered by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) while preventing the decline of glutathione, thiol groups, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in both cell lines. Our study suggests that the cocoa shell may serve as a functional food ingredient for promoting health, owing to its rich concentration of antioxidant compounds that could support combating the cellular oxidative stress associated with chronic disease development.

Exploring the Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion in the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic-Rich Chestnut Shells: A Preliminary Study

“…These correlations were also significant with p < 0.01 for HOCl and p < 0.001 for both ONOO − assays. Therefore, the remarkable contribution of phenolic compounds abundantly produced in CS to its bioactivity was highlighted by the strong positive correlations determined and corroborated by previous studies with identical outcomes on other food by-products [24,25,37,38,40,41].…”

“…The findings on ROS/RNS scavenging efficiency pointed out the promising role of phenolic composition in the bioactivity of digested and undigested CS (particularly hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanols, flavonols, and lignans), whose counteracting responses have been attested in recent research [27,41,42].…”

Cocoa Shell Extract Reduces Blood Pressure in Aged Hypertensive Rats via the Cardiovascular Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Nuclear Factor (Erythroid-Derived 2)-like 2 Protein Expression

“…Furthermore, we recently demonstrated that the main phenolic compounds persisted after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, indicative of their capacity to reach plasma. We also observed that the digested fraction exhibited a free-radical scavenging capacity, counteracting oxidative stress in culture cells [ 24 ].…”

“…Foods or food ingredients with antioxidant properties are of particular interest since oxidative stress is one of the underlying mechanisms implicated in hypertension and CVD [ 27 , 28 ], which is also a hallmark of aging [ 29 ]. The composition of CSE and its antioxidant actions, demonstrated in vitro , in cell cultures, and in arteries [ 15 , 24 ], suggests that this extract is a suitable ingredient for targeting hypertension and associated CVD. As an experimental model, we used rats exposed to undernourishment conditions during fetal life, induced by maternal undernutrition during gestation (MUN rats).…”