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Recent advances in chocolate research
From the ACS Press Room Recent advances in chocolate research
Chocolate has been appreciated as a delicacy for thousands of years, and it’s easy to see why. The luscious and luxurious treat can give you a little pick-me-up toward the end of a hard day, or provide a sweet ending to a fine meal. You might think we know everything about chocolate by now, but surprisingly, researchers are still reporting new findings about the confection. Below are some recent papers published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that report insights into chocolate, such as what compounds make it taste a certain way, how it could help strengthen teeth and how to tell if a chocolate bar is authentic. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org.
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Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Oct. 18, 2022
A good, rich dark chocolate can be described as cocoa-like, acidic, fruity or even floral, but what compounds are responsible for these sensations? The researchers leading this study answered this question and showed, for the first time, that they could decode the flavor attributes at the molecular level. Using aroma extract dilution analysis, they identified and quantified several compounds associated with the fine flavor properties in a set of reference chocolates that are used to train sensory panelists.
“B-type Proanthocyanidins with Dentin Biomodification Activity from Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Sept. 22, 2022
Cocoa could help save your teeth! In past research, this team identified plant-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs) as promising treatments for dental issues because these compounds can strengthen dentin, the layer of the tooth under the enamel. The authors also previously found that PACs from cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate, had positive effects on teeth. Here, they isolated and characterized the structures of six cocoa PACs, including a new tetramer, and found that the dentin-strengthening properties depended on the compounds’ structures and the way they were linked.
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From the ACS Press Room continued
“Lithium-ion Batteries” el of polyphenols showed the most potent antibiotic and aggregation-inhibiting activiContinued from page 6 ty. It also promoted processes that allow the body to clear out misfolded, neurotoxic pro-could make Li-ion batteries safer without teins. Finally, the team tested the Tettnang having to sacrifice their performance. extract in a C. elegans model and found that The authors acknowledge funding from the it protected the worms from AD-related paNational Natural Science Foundation of Chi- ralysis, though the effect was not very prona, the Tsinghua University-China Petro- nounced. The researchers say that although chemical Corporation Joint Institute for this work may not justify drinking more bitGreen Chemical Engineering and the Tsing- ter brews, it shows that hop compounds hua-Foshan Innovation Special Fund. could serve as the basis for nutraceuticals that combat the development of AD. The authors acknowledge funding from the
“Distinguishing Sugars” Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR).
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these results, the researchers say that the stretchable, multicolored material could be incorporated into wearable devices for environmental, clinical or health monitoring of sugar, or modified to detect other substances. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
“Beer Hops compound”
Continued from page 10 clumping in human nerve cells. The most successful extract was from the Tettnang hop, found in many types of lagers and lighter ales. When that extract was separated into fractions, the one containing a high lev-
From the ACS Press Room
Continued from page 11 “In Vitro CRISPR-Cpf1 Assay for Differentiation of Fine and Bulk Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
July 5, 2022
When splurging on an expensive chocolate treat, you want to know that it’s made from high-quality ingredients. Here, researchers used a CRISPR-Cpf1 assay to distinguish pricey Arriba Nacional beans from those of a less-prized cultivar. The more well-known CRISPR technology — CRISPR-Cas9 — couldn’t tell the cultivars apart. So, these researchers showed that an alternative method, called CRISPR-Cpf1, could do the job, and they demonstrated it with various cocoa bean mixtures. The researchers say that the assay should be easy for many labs to implement for quality assurance testing and fraud detection.
