The research, funded by European FEDER funds and published in the journal Food & Function, is pioneering in simulating the human digestive process in a laboratory to analyze the release of bioactive compounds from cocoa.
The UCA team reproduced the conditions of the mouth, stomach, and intestine, concluding that in defatted pure cocoas, over 85% of theobromine and caffeine were released, becoming potentially bioaccessible for absorption.
Nuria Chinchilla, a researcher at UCA, notes that theobromine has mild stimulant, vasodilator, and anti-inflammatory effects, while caffeine can enhance alertness and cognitive performance. The study focuses on the release of these compounds, not their direct clinical effects.
The absorption percentage varies depending on the product's formulation. Pure cocoas showed a higher initial concentration, while chocolate mixtures released these substances mainly in the gastric phase. Ingredients like sugar, starch, or cocoa butter influence this release.
The study also analyzed antioxidant capacity, which increased in the stomach and intestine, possibly due to the progressive release of polyphenols. This data is useful for developing functional foods enriched with cocoa extract.
The team, affiliated with the Vitivinicultural and Agri-food Research Institute and the Biomolecules Institute, developed a rapid extraction technique using ultrasound. Future work includes applying the model to other foods and analyzing cocoa combined with milk or hot water.
