Ramiro-Puig Emma, Urpí-Sardà Mireia, Pérez-Cano Francisco J, Franch Angels, Castellote Cristina, Andrés-Lacueva Cristina, Izquierdo-Pulido Maria, Castell Margarida
Department of Physiology and Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Aug 8;55(16):6431-8. doi: 10.1021/jf070487w. Epub 2007 Jul 14.
Cocoa is a rich source of flavonoids, mainly (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and procyanidins. This article reports the effect of continuous cocoa intake on antioxidant capacity in plasma and tissues, including lymphoid organs and liver, from young rats. Weaned Wistar rats received natural cocoa (4% or 10% food intake) for three weeks, corresponding to their infancy. Flavonoid absorption was confirmed through the quantification of epicatechin metabolites in urine. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, were examined. Cocoa intake enhanced TAC in all tissues especially in thymus. Moreover, thymus SOD and catalase activities were also dose-dependently increased by cocoa. It was also analyzed whether the enhanced antioxidant system in thymus could influence its cellular composition. An increase in the percentage of thymocytes in advanced development stage was found. In summary, cocoa diet enhances thymus antioxidant defenses and influences thymocyte differentiation.
可可富含类黄酮，主要是（-）-表儿茶素、（+）-儿茶素和原花青素。本文报道了持续摄入可可对幼鼠血浆和包括淋巴器官及肝脏在内的组织中抗氧化能力的影响。断奶的Wistar大鼠在相当于其幼年时期的三周内摄入天然可可（食物摄入量的4%或10%）。通过对尿液中表儿茶素代谢物的定量分析确认了类黄酮的吸收情况。检测了总抗氧化能力（TAC）以及抗氧化酶超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化氢酶的活性。摄入可可提高了所有组织中的TAC，尤其是在胸腺中。此外，可可还使胸腺中的SOD和过氧化氢酶活性呈剂量依赖性增加。还分析了胸腺中增强的抗氧化系统是否会影响其细胞组成。结果发现发育后期胸腺细胞的百分比有所增加。总之，可可饮食增强了胸腺的抗氧化防御能力并影响胸腺细胞的分化。
