Table 3.
Cocoa-derived metabolites in plasma before (time 0) and after meal consumption (60, 120, and 180 min)
| Time (min) | pa | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa metabolites (nmol/L) | 0 | 60 | 120 | 180 | p0–180′ | pP1–P2 |
p 0–180′ ×P1–P2 |
AUC (nmol·h/L) | p AUCb |
| Procyanidin B2e | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 3.2 (1.8) | 3.1 (1.1) | n.q. | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 7.6 (3.1) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | n.d. | 3.1 (1.3) | n.q. | n.q. | 7.3 (3.7) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | – | ||||
| Methyl-catechin-glucuronidate | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 42.6 (23.9) | 43.2 (12.8) | 39.2 (11.9) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 105.9 (38.2) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | n.q. | 55.2 (18.0) | 62.6 (45.1) | 41.4 (12.8) | 143.7 (58.87) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.d. | n.q. | n.q. | n.q. | – | ||||
| Epicatechin-glucuronidate | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 1,346.8 (677.8) | 1,267.6 (499.7) | 968.1 (360.7) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 3,098.4 (1,234.3) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | 104.4 (63.9) | 1,576.5 (478.9) | 1,371.1 (366.4) | 998.6 (388.1) | 3,499.2 (955.0) | ||||
| Control-P2 | 14.4 (29.9) | 40.6 (22.3) | 44.4 (21.9) | 63.9 (101.3) | 124.2 (82.4) | ||||
| Catechin-sulphatee | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 133.7 (53.3) | 106.0 (40.1) | 65.8 (24.2) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 272.6 (85.6) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | 12.1 (17.0) | 138.1 (51.0) | 106.8 (48.7) | 62.6 (45.9) | 282.2 (110.2) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | – | ||||
| Methyl-epicatechin-O-sulphate | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 353.7 (138.5) | 353.3 (111.7) | 276.9 (59.7) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 845.4 (249.0) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | 24.2 (12.1) | 397.5 (108.4) | 385.6 (79.8) | 284.6 (80.9) | 937.5 (185.9) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.q. | n.d. | 13.9 (4.0) | 16.5 (26.1) | 36.3 (19.8) | ||||
| Epicatechin-sulphate | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 2,847.6 (1,034.2) | 2,970.6 (958.2) | 2,074.4 (524.2) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 6,734.1 (2,164.3) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | 152.2 (98.8) | 3,311.2 (1,029.2) | 3,374.3 (996.0) | 2,201.2 (885.0) | 7,862.1 (1,862.2) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.q. | 92.2 (42.6) | 80.0 (20.8) | 107.0 (175.7) | 229.7 (135.1) | ||||
| 3-O-methyl-epicatechin | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 137.8 (51.8) | 136.6 (47.0) | 92.2 (37.9) | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. | 320.5 (104.2) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | n.q. | 151.1 (40.7) | 147.8 (33.3) | 110.1 (36.6) | 358.2 (76.6) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.d. | n.q. | n.q. | n.q. | – | ||||
| 3,7-dimethyluric acid | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d. | 66.1 (138.3) | n.q. | n.q. | 0.002 | n.s. | n.s. | 135.4 (171.8) | ns |
| Cocoa-P2 | n.q. | 68.0 (43.4) | 61.9 (32.1) | 77.6 (82.7) | 176.8 (117.4) | ||||
| Control-P2 | n.d. | n.q. | n.q. | n.q. | – | ||||
| 3-methylxanthine | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | n.d.c | 458.3 (190.8)c | 634.0 (146.8)c | 705.5 (158.3)c | <0.001 | <0.001 | n.s. | 1,445.0 (328.1) | <0.001 |
| Cocoa-P2 | 881.1 (310.9)d | 1,301.1 (394.5)d | 1,386.4 (427.7)d | 1,560.9 (528.1)d | 3,908.5 (1,146.7) | ||||
| Control-P2 | 335.2 (303.5) | 542.2 (315.7) | 592.7 (331.4) | 680.0 (412.8) | 1,642.5 (983.8) | ||||
| Theophylline e | |||||||||
| Cocoa-P1 | 121.3 (212.3)c | 285.5 (190.2)c | 360.7 (143.3)c | 391.0 (164.9)c | <0.001 | 0.013 | n.s. | 902.3 (512.3) | 0.001 |
| Cocoa-P2 | 726.2 (742.8)d | 858.7 (563.9)d | 854.4 (689.4)d | 867.4 (555.7)d | 2,509.8 (1,876.9) | ||||
| Control-P2 | 339.7 (341.3) | 398.7 (328.7) | 407.9 (291.1) | 415.5 (329.8) | 1,184.2 (949.0) | ||||
Data presented as unadjusted mean (SD). When a mean value was not quantifiable or no detectable in control group at 0, 60, 120, or 180 min, the real values were used, although been under the limit of quantification or detection, to perform statistical analysis where appropriate. AUC was calculated when at least the metabolite was above the limit of quantification in one time-point. In those cases, also the corresponding pAUC is reported. pAUC was calculated using the original values of each participant where appropriate. Comparisons between P1 and P2 were analysed by paired student t test or Wilcoxon test, according to the normality of the variables. p<0.05 was considered as significant.
– Not possible to calculate AUC.
p values of the repeated measures ANOVA.
AUC of cocoa group at Postprandial 1 vs. AUC of cocoa group at Postprandial 2.
Cocoa group at Postprandial 1 vs. Cocoa groups at Postprandial 2 at each time-point by multiple comparison by Bonferroni correction.
Non-normally distributed variables.
AUC: area under the curve; n.d: not detected; n.s.: not significant; n.q.: not quantified; P1: Postprandial 1; P2: Postprandial 2.