Suppressive Effect of Cocoa Powder on Atherosclerosis in Kurosawa and Kusanagi-hypercholesterolemic Rabbits

Abstract

We investigated the suppressive effect of cocoa powder (cacao polyphenol content: 7.8%) on atherosclerosis in a spontaneous familial hypercholesterolemic model, Kurosawa and Kusanagi-hypercholesterolemic (KHC) rabbits. Six-month dietary administration of cocoa powder had no effects on body weight, hematology or blood chemistry parameters or a lipid profile in KHC rabbits. Antioxidative activity of lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) was observed in the 2nd month and 3rd month of administration. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), the marker of lipid peroxidation, in plasma were decreased in the cocoa powder treated group from the 2nd month of administration during the study period compared to that in the control group. The area of atherosclerotic lesions in th aorta was significantly smaller in the cocoa powder group (30.87%) than in the control (52.39%). Tissue cholesterol content also tended to decrease. Distensibility of the aortic wall was improved significantly in the cocoa powder treated group due to decreases in fatty streaks and intimal thickening compared to that in the control group. These results suggest that cocoa powder has suppressive effect on development of atherosclerotic lesions. We consider that antioxidative activity of polyphenols rich in cocoa powder may be a key factor for the anti-atherosclerotic effect. J Atheroscler Thromb, 2005; 12: 20-28.

Reduction of Atherosclerosis in Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits and Decrease of Expressions of Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Foam Cells by a Water-Soluble Fraction of Polygonum multiflorum

“…The effect of PMS on serum triglyceride level was most significant, which might be applicable for the treatment of hyperlipidemic desease in the future. In cholesterol-fed rabbits, increased serum total cholesterol level has been reported to be due, in most part, to increased chylomicron remnant and / or β-VLDL cholesterol, which might be involved in the promotion of atherosclerosis (13). However in this study, the hyperlipidemic pattern induced by high fat diet showed both increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels.…”

Medicinal Potentials and Toxicity Concerns of Bioactive Principles

“…According to Hu, [155] dietary polyphenolic supplementation exert desirable outcome in complementary therapy when ingested in large quantity. From the reports of Ranneh et al [156], experimental models confirmed that phenolics from T. cacao exhibited beneficial effects against platelet aggregation [157], high blood pressure [158], atherosclerosis [159], hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia [160,161], inflammation [162], hepatocarcinogenesis [160], DNA damage and clastogenic effect [163]. Furthermore, flavonoids and polyphenol from T. cacao such as flavan-3-ols, epicatechin, and catechin are potential inhibitors of pro-inflammatory mediators in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-sensitized Caco-2 cells in vitro and exhibited protective effect in colon cancer in vivo [164].…”

Flavanols: digestion, absorption and bioactivity

“…Genetically hypercholesterolemic rabbits fed cocoa powder (7.8% polyphenol content) for six months showed less LDL oxidation and decreased TBARS compared to animals consuming a control diet (Kurosawa et al 2005). The area of atherosclerotic lesion was significantly smaller in the supplemented group (31%) compared to the control group (52%).…”