We investigated the effects of the interaction between flavanols and related procyanidins (dimer to hexamer) with both cell and synthetic membranes, on bilayer fluidity and susceptibility to oxidation. Cocoa derived dimers (0.05 to 1 microg/ml) protected Jurkat T cells from AMVN-mediated oxidation and increased plasma membrane fluidity. These effects occurred in a concentration- and chain lengt...

A correlation observed between chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel laureates has recently led to the suggestion that consuming more chocolate would increase the number of laureates due to the beneficial effects of cocoa-flavanols on cognitive functioning. We demonstrate that this interpretation is disproved when other flavanol-rich nutriment consumption is considered. We also show the...

1. Flavonoids relaxed the contractions induced by noradrenaline, KCl or phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate in rat aortic strips, the order of potency being: flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol, pentamethylquercetin) > flavones(luteolin, apigenin) > flavanols((+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin) which correlates with the reported order of potency to inhibit protein kinase C. 2. The relaxant effects of kaem...

A fractionation method was used to extract phenolic compounds from apple pomace (AP) involving a first extraction with water and subsequent extractions of the same residue with two different organic solvents. The water extracts obtained contained high amounts of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant capacity. However, the second and third extractions of the same residue still extracted consi...