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Human Nutrition and Metabolism

Cocoa Products Decrease Low Density Lipoprotein Oxidative Susceptibility but Do Not Affect Biomarkers of Inflammation in Humans¹

Surekha Mathur, Sridevi Devaraj^*, Scott M. Grundy and Ishwarlal Jialal^*,2

Center for Human Nutrition, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9073, and Departments of ^* Pathology and Internal Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ishwarlal.jialal{at}ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

Flavonoids and related polyphenolics with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities may play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation. We wished to determine the effects of cocoa extract supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Healthy subjects (n = 25) were studied at baseline, after cocoa supplementation (36.9 g of dark chocolate bar and 30.95 g of cocoa powder drink) for 6 wk and after a 6-wk washout period. Fasting blood and early morning urine were collected at the three time points. Two indices of flavonoid intake, total phenols and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of plasma, were measured after an overnight fast. Neither was affected by supplementation. Measures of oxidative stress included copper-catalyzed LDL oxidation kinetics and urinary F₂ isoprostanes. LDL oxidizability was lower after chocolate supplementation as evidenced by a longer lag time (P < 0.05) of conjugated diene formation (101.0 ± 20.7 min) compared with baseline (91.3 ± 18.0 min) and washout (96.4 ± 7.5 min) phases. There was no effect of chocolate on urinary F₂ isoprostane levels or on markers of inflammation including the whole-blood cytokines, interleukin-1 ß, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and P-selectin. In conclusion, cocoa products supplementation in humans affects LDL oxidizability, but not urinary F₂ isoprostanes or markers of inflammation.

KEY WORDS: • cocoa • chocolate • flavonoids • oxidation • inflammation • humans

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