The present work reports a new mode of action of the naturally occurring flavanols catechin and epicatechin and their dimers B2 and B5, in the breast cancer T47D cell line, namely, their interaction with membrane androgen receptors. We show that monomeric and dimeric flavanols are complete (B2) or partial displacers of radiolabeled testosterone bound on T47D membranes, with affinities ranging f...

Little is known about the effects of common cooking processes on cocoa flavanols. Antioxidant activity, total polyphenols (TP), flavanol monomers, and procyanidin oligomers were determined in chocolate frosting, a hot cocoa drink, chocolate cookies, and chocolate cake made with natural cocoa powder. Recoveries of antioxidant activity, TP, flavanol monomers, and procyanidins ranged from 86% to o...

Polyphenolic profiles in the berry samples of 344 European grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivars were evaluated for two consecutive years. These cultivars represent a diverse collection of V. vinifera germplasm maintained at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Vitis Clonal Repository in Davis of California, USA. A total of 36 polyphenolic compounds, including 16 anthocyanins, 6 flavonols, 6 flava...

The aim of the present study was to investigate if use Fe (II) and H2O2 (Fenton reaction) along with heating can be implicated for rapid evaluation browning susceptibility white wine. In this context, increasing concentrations were added two wines (Roditis–Malagouzia Debina), samples stored at 45 °C or 18 °C, absorbance 420 nm (browning index) measured. Moreover, total sulfur dioxide, phenolics...

The consumption of a diet rich in certain flavonoids, including the flavanol sub-class, has been associated with a reduced risk for vascular disease. We evaluated the effects of the regular consumption (14 d) of a flavanol-containing milk chocolate (FCMC) or cocoa butter chocolate (CBC) on variables related to vascular disease risk, oxidative stress and physical activity. Twenty-eight free-livi...

Flavanols intake has been associated with reduced risk of cancer. In this study, the anticarcinogenic effects of the flavanols epicatechin (EC), epicatechin-gallate (ECG) and procyanidin B2 (PB2) on Caco-2 and SW480 colon cancer cells were investigated. Catechins showed different cytotoxicity depending on the cell line. ECG displayed strong growth inhibitory effects against SW480 cells, but was...

Shen Yuan et al. [1] highlight the protective cardiometabolic effects of chocolate intake. Without doubt, their work contributes to support evidence about the salutary and wide protective effects of chocolate compounds, particularly flavanols and its derivatives.[...].

There is increasing interest in the biological effects of tea- and wine-derived polyphenols and many studies in vitro and in vivo are demonstrating their antioxidant properties. Tea is a major source of dietary polyphenols and an even richer source of the flavanols, the catechins and catechin/gallate esters. Although there are limited studies on the bioavailability of the polyphenols, the absor...

Proanthocyanidins are present in many fruits and plant products like grapes and wine, and contribute to their taste and health benefits. In the past decades of years, substantial progresses has been achieved in the identification of composition and structure of proanthocyanidins, but the debate concerning the existence of an enzymatic or nonenzymatic mechanism for proanthocyanidin condensation ...