The Cardiovascular Effects of Cocoa Polyphenols—An Overview

Abstract

Cocoa is a rich source of high-quality antioxidant polyphenols. They comprise mainly catechins (29%–38% of total polyphenols), anthocyanins (4% of total polyphenols) and proanthocyanidins (58%–65% of total polyphenols). A growing body of experimental and epidemiological evidence highlights that the intake of cocoa polyphenols may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Beyond antioxidant properties, cocoa polyphenols exert blood pressure lowering activity, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, metabolic and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and also improve endothelial function. This paper reviews the role of cocoa polyphenols in cardiovascular protection, with a special focus on mechanisms of action, clinical relevance and correlation between antioxidant activity and cardiovascular health.

Caloric Restriction Mimetics against Age-Associated Disease: Targets, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potential

“…The flavonoids (+)Àcatechin and its cis-form (À)Àepicatechin can be prominently found in cocoa, tea brews, and red wine. Several animal studies and human trials have shown cardiovascular protective properties of catechins (Aprotosoaie et al, 2016). Both catechins reduce cytosolic protein acetylation and induce autophagy (Pietrocola et al, 2012), likely via pleiotropic targets.…”

Flavanols protect the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaeagainst heating and freezing/thawing injury

“…As SODs are critical for the survival in aerobic atmosphere (Fridovich 1974), mutants of S. cerevisiae deficient in SODs are more sensitive to OS. The Dsod1 mutant, devoid of cytoplasmic SOD, cannot grow in the atmosphere of pure oxygen, has decreased replicative and chronological lifespan, and is hypersensitive not only to superoxide-generating agents but also to a plethora of other factors inducing OS (Bili nski et al 1985;Wawryn et al 2002;Fabrizio and Longo 2003). Antioxidants can compensate for the effects of lack of CuZn-SOD; their protective effect is usually more discernible in the mutant, which is therefore a better sensor of OS and antioxidant effects than the wild-type strain (Koziol et al 2005;Zyracka et al 2005).…”

“…), improve endothelial function (Aprotosoaie et al . ) as well as protect against obesity (Akhlaghi et al . ).…”

“…However, in the body they exert a plethora of other effects which can be only partly or not at all related to their antioxidant action. They have been reported to lower blood pressure, especially in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals, modulate metabolism and respiration including maximal oxygen uptake, O 2 cost of exercise and energy expenditure, and reduce inflammation, resulting in increased skeletal muscle efficiency and endurance capacity (Al-Dashti et al 2018), positively modulate blood platelet aggregation (Peluso et al 2015), improve endothelial function (Aprotosoaie et al 2016) as well as protect against obesity (Akhlaghi et al 2018). Flavanols influence also positively insulin signalling by relieving insulin-signalling pathways from oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation and/or via a heightened incretin response (Strat et al 2016).…”

A review on the structure-activity relationship of dietary flavonoids for protecting vascular endothelial function: Current understanding and future issues

“…The impact of diet strategies to prevent CVD has been highly concerned by public and scientists in recent years. Epidemiological studies have reported a strong association between dietary intake of polyphenol‐rich diets and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (Aprotosoaie, Miron, Trifan, Luca, & Costache, ; Haseeb, Alexander, & Baranchuk, ; Manach, Mazur, & Scalbert, ). One of the important class of polyphenols is thought to be flavonoids, a type of phenyl benzopyrone structure molecules, with over 6,000 individual flavonoid molecules known (Harborne & Baxter, ).…”