Cocoa Bar Antioxidant Profile Enrichment with Underutilized Apples Varieties

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Dark chocolate is recognized for its potential health benefits, largely attributed to its polyphenol content.
• Incorporating fruit components into functional foods is a growing area of interest for enhancing nutritional value.
• Dried apples offer a source of bioactive compounds that could complement those found in cocoa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of dried apple addition on the antioxidant capacity of dark chocolate.
• To identify and quantify key polyphenols in dark chocolate bars fortified with different apple varieties.
• To determine if dried apple incorporation can create a polyphenol-enriched food product.

Main Methods:

• Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH scavenging assays.
• Polyphenol profiles were analyzed using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS).
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to differentiate samples based on polyphenol content.

Main Results:

• Dark chocolate with 'Nesta' dried apple showed a significant increase in DPPH scavenging activity (17.3% to 46.8%) compared to cocoa mass.
• Quercetin was the most abundant polyphenol, with concentrations varying by apple variety.
• Cocoa bars with 'Nesta' dry apple exhibited higher overall polyphenol content (1614 ± 61.8 mg GAE/100 g).

Conclusions:

• Dried apple addition, particularly 'Nesta', demonstrably improves the antioxidant characteristics of dark chocolate.
• Specific polyphenols like quercetin, p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid contribute significantly to the enhanced activity.
• Cocoa bars fortified with dried apples can be considered a functional food due to their elevated polyphenol content.