Healthy chocolate

Chocolate contains a variety of different compounds such as saturated fat, polyphenols, sterols, di- and triterpenes and methylxanthines. Cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolate, is rich in polyphenols, particularly in flavan-3-ols such as epicatechin, catechins and procyanidins. Polyphenol having great antioxidant activity and their possible beneficial implications in human health, such as in the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease certain cancer and indigestion. Our aim was to determine polyphenol content in unfermented cocoa beans and to study antioxidant activity in cocoa polyphenol extract and furthermore to develop antioxidant chocolate. Cocoa beans were defatted using screw-pressed machine to remove lipid and food grade ethanol were used to extract polyphenol. Solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and aqueous extract were freeze-dried and kept in -40°C. Polyphenol extract, dark chocolate and antioxidant chocolate were used to determine the total polyphenol content using catechin standard in Folin-ciocalteu method. Results showed that polyphenol extract contains the highest amount of catechin (140.55 ± 5.62 mg/g CAE) followed by antioxidant chocolate and dark chocolate which is 42.46 ± 3.44mg/g CAE and 22.71 ± 4.53 mg/g CAE, respectively. The extract also screened for their potential antioxidant activities using superoxide scavenging system (02) and á-á-diphenyl- -picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) model system. Cocoa polyphenol extract showed very good hydroxyl radical scavenging activity which is 91.9 ± 1.00% at a concentration of 250 ug/ml and contains almost 100% DPPH radical scavenging activity which is 97.7 ± 0.15 %. The important components of antioxidant chocolate are polyphenolic antioxidants, pure cocoa butter and protein-containing low fat milk powder. Our intention is to maximize the nutritional value of chocolate. Pure cocoa butter is a heart-friendly lipid; it does not raise blood cho lesterol. Low fat milk powder contains vital protein. This health-promoting chocolate is designed for the general public.