Disease relevance of Cacao

• Pentameric procyanidin from Theobroma cacao selectively inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells [1].
• The following descriptors were used: "caffeine", "coffee", "tea", "cola", and "cacao" to define the exposure and "fetal death", "stillbirth", "fetal demise", and "fetal loss" to define the outcome [2].
• Inhibitory effects of aqueous extract of cacao bean husk on collagenase of Bacteroides gingivalis [3].

High impact information on Cacao

• Procyanidin B2 (epicatechin-(4beta-8)-epicatechin), which is present in grape seeds, apples, and cacao beans, has antioxidant properties [4].
• Dietary flavanols and procyanidin oligomers from cocoa (Theobroma cacao) inhibit platelet function [5].
• N-Coumaroyldopamine and N-caffeoyldopamine are clovamide-type phenylpropenoic acid amides found in Theobroma cacao [6].
• High-quality annotation of this gene set using Blast and MetaFam produced annotation for 75% of the contigs and allowed us to identify the types of gene expressed in cacao beans and leaves [7].
• Procyanidin oligomers of different sizes (monomer through nonamer), isolated from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, were recently examined for their ability to protect against peroxynitrite-dependent oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 and nitration of tyrosine and were found to be effective in attenuating these reactions [8].

Biological context of Cacao

• The effects of cacao liquor proanthocyanidins (CLPr) on 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced mutagenesis in vitro and on in vivo carcinogenesis in female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were investigated [9].
• Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for bean traits and the number of ovules per ovary was carried out in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) using three test-cross progenies derived from crosses between a lower Amazon Forastero male parent (Catongo) and three female parents: one upper Amazon Forastero (IMC78) and two Trinitario (DR1 and S52) [10].

Anatomical context of Cacao

• Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine [11].
• Water-soluble (cacao pigment, cochineal pigment, corn pigment, betanin, carthamus yellow, and monascus pigment) and water-insoluble (gardenia yellow, laccaic acid, bixin, and curcumin) natural colorings inhibited IgE production by rat spleen lymphocytes at 10 and microM, respectively [12].

Associations of Cacao with chemical compounds

• Purification using a combination of celite filtration, polyethylene glycol concentration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation has yielded concentrated preparations of purified cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV) [13].
• Summary: Male rabbits were fed for six months diets comprising cholesterol (0.1%) and either butter alone (10%) or butter (5%) plus cacao butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or corn oil (4.5%) [14].
• Procyanidin oligomers of different size (monomer through nonamer), isolated from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, were examined for their ability to protect against peroxynitrite-dependent oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 and nitration of tyrosine [15].
• The enantioselectivity of the method makes it suitable in evaluation of possible epimerisation at the C-2 position of epicatechin monomer potentially occurring during heat processing and storage of T. cacao beans [16].
• In this study, the contents of soluble sugars, amino acids, alkaloids, ethylene, phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, pigments, malondialdehyde (MDA), glycerol, and fatty acids were analysed in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) shoots during the infection and development of WBD [17].

Gene context of Cacao

• Recent data has demonstrated that cacao liquor polyphenols (procyanidins) have antioxidant activity, inhibit mRNA expression of interleukin-2 and are potent inhibitors of acute inflammation [18].
• This progeny resulted from a cross between two heterozygous cacao clones: an Upper-Amazon Forastero (UPA 402) and a Trinitario (UF 676) [19].
• Sera from 195 humans, either workers in the cacao plantation or nearby residents, were all negative for VEE virus antibodies [20].
• The investigated pesticides, which are used to control pests in the growing of cacao, are: Acephate, Propoxur, HCH, Heptachlor, Fenitrothion, Pirimiphos-methyl, Aldrin, Dieldrin, pp'-DDE, op-DDE and DDT [21].
• Lipid composition of wild ecuadorian Theobroma subincanum Mart. seeds and comparison with two varieties of Theobroma cacao L [22].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Cacao

• A micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed for the quantitation of polyphenols (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin (catechin monomers) and the methylxanthine theobromine in Theobroma cacao beans [16].
• Chemoprevention of lung carcinogenesis by cacao liquor proanthocyanidins in a male rat multi-organ carcinogenesis model [23].

References