Cocoa is a common beverage people often drink as a substitute for coffee. It contains various nutritious substances, such as polyphenols, that have been shown in recent years to reduce the risks of associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. Epicatechin is one of the polyphenols that is present in cocoa that we are more interested in. Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), we have measured the amount of epicatechin in brewed cocoa samples. A reversed-phase column is used for the separation, and an Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer is used to detect the signals. Our research addressed the issue of the impact of the cocoa brewing time on the amount of epicatechin present. Much like coffee, a variety of different roasts exist that impact the amount of the epicatechin. We aim to understand the factors that affect the amount of epicatechin that can be extracted from cocoa.

Quantifications of epicatechin content in brewed cocoa and factors that influence extract efficiency

255th National Meeting (2018)

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