Evaluation of total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of different commercial cocoa (theobroma cacao) powders) / Avaliação do teor de polifenóis totais e capacidade antioxidante de diferentes pós comerciais de cacau (theobroma cacao)

Polyphenols from cocoa have been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure and improve endothelial function in hypertensive individuals. However, polyphenols content in commercial cocoa products may be lost during fermentation, alkalinization, and/or roasting process, impairing its bioactivity. Therefore, the current study sought to investigate whether total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity are preserved among commercial cocoa powders. Four best-selling 100% cocoa powder products in Brazil (Garoto®, Nestle®, Mãe Terra®, and Hershey®) and one alkalinized 100% cocoa powder product (Hershey®) were examined. The total polyphenols content was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu’s phenol reagent and antioxidant capacity by using 22,2’-azino-bis (3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) method. No significant difference in total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity among the brand of natural powder products (Garoto®, Nestle®, Mãe Terra®, and Hershey®) was observed. However, Alkalinized cocoa powder (Hershey®) exhibited significantly lower total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity compared to other brands of natural cocoa powder products. The current study showed that total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity are consistent between natural cocoa powder products. However, total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of cocoa are reduced during the alkalinization process.