title: Oligomeric cocoa procyanidins possess enhanced bioactivity compared to monomeric and polymeric cocoa procyanidins for preventing the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance during high-fat feeding.
abstract: There is interest in the potential of cocoa flavanols, including monomers and procyanidins, to prevent obesity and type-2 diabetes. Fermentation and processing of cocoa beans influence the qualitative and quantitative profiles of individual cocoa constituents. Little is known regarding how different cocoa flavanols contribute to inhibition of obesity and type-2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to compare the impacts of long-term dietary exposure to cocoa flavanol monomers, oligomers, and polymers on the effects of high-fat feeding. Mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with either a cocoa flavanol extract or a flavanol fraction enriched with monomeric, oligomeric, or polymeric procyanidins for 12 weeks. The oligomer-rich fraction proved to be most effective in preventing weight gain, fat mass, impaired glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance in this model. This is the first long-term feeding study to examine the relative activities of cocoa constituents on diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, ‡Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, and #Metabolic Phenotyping Core Facility Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States.
authors.forename: Melanie R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dorenkott
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Katheryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thompson-Witrick
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fundaro
authors.forename: Liyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sean F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hulver
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Neilson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044946:Biflavonoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry*; D002392:Catechin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D044948:Flavonols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000188:drug therapy; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D044946:Biflavonoids; D044948:Flavonols; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; C017674:procyanidin; D002392:Catechin