Antioxidant characterisation of bean-to-bar dark chocolates: potential relationship with their endothelium-dependent...

Studies of humans provide evidence that dark chocolate is beneficial for cardiovascular health, particularly due to the antioxidant and vasorelaxant properties of polyphenols. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) delivered a health claim indicating that "cocoa flavan-3-ols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, contributing to normal blood flow". To obtain this claim, 200 mg of cocoa flavan-3-ols, equivalent to 10 g of dark chocolate, should be consumed daily. In addition to determining total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by four different methods, we examined if thirteen commercial dark chocolates of different origins (Ecuador, Panama, India, Guatemala, Mexico, Tanzania; % cocoa from 67 to 100%), handcrafted by a Belgian master chocolatier or produced on a large scale by a chocolate manufacturer both according to the more ethical bean-to-bar concept, may make this claim based on their flavan-3-ols content and ex vivo vasorelaxant activity. Among all chocolates tested, data showed that the two handcrafted Ecuadorian chocolates (70 and 100% cocoa) made with Arriba Nacional beans exhibited the highest TAC and total flavan-3-ols content, as well as the best ex vivo vasorelaxant effects. This contrasts with those produced by a chocolate manufacturer in Ecuador using the same beans. Nevertheless, their amount in total flavan-3-ols only reached, respectively 102.3 and 90.0 mg per 10 g raw material, thus none of the analyzed chocolates would meet the EFSA criteria for a cardiovascular health claim.