Metodologies per l'estudi de compostos fenòlics i alcaloides en el cacau (theobroma cacao) i la garrofa (ceratonia siliqua L.)bextracció, caracterització i avaluació de la digestibilitat en model in-vitro

Abstract

Nowadays, there has been a growing interest in polyphenols because of their physiological health benefits, including antioxidant activity in the areas of nutrition, health and medicine. In parallel, there is increasing consumer demand for food information concerning nutritional needs as well as the improvement of health. All these concepts, together with the imminent definition of the European legislation in relation to the nutritional profiles and the allegations of health claims, involve the availability of suitable methodologies for food characterization. To respond to these requirements, this thesis is focused on the development of methodologies that allow the identification, verification and quantification of the bioactive compounds (polyphenols). These methodologies are presented as tools of work, which have to facilitate the formulation of new foods with alleged health benefits. In order to reach these aims, this work selected two vegetable-origin sources to obtain and evaluate phenolic extracts: cocoa and carob. It is well-known that the polyphenol content of cocoa beans is mainly procyanidins, and alkaloids; however, this can vary greatly between different varieties and origins of the beans and also through the manufacturing processes. This work was focused on the evaluation of the cocoa bean and its by-products (nib, liquor and cocoa powder) as a potential source of bioactive compounds (polyphenols), which can be used as ingredients in the food and chocolate industry. The products elaborated from cocoa are universally accepted. In addition, different studies have shown recently that the consumption of cocoa and its products have positive and varied health effects. However, cocoa products contain high levels of saturated fatty acids and sugar, which limit the increase in their consumption in a balanced diet. For these reasons, carob flour was proposed as an alternative source with a marked nutritional value due to its high levels of dietary fiber and phenol compounds. The results of this work are the development of several chromatographic techniques, which allow the phenolic profile of cocoa derivatives and carob flour (UPLC-MS/MS) to be defined and quantified. In addition, several spectrophotometrical techniques are proved as fast tools for monitoring the phenol yield efficiency of the obtained extracts (Folin-Ciocalteau and the Vainillin assay). Also, two optimized extraction methodologies have allowed phenol-rich extracts to be obtained from cocoa and carob. The phenol extracts obtained have been evaluated in terms of their antioxidant capacity using in-vitro methods, such as DPPH and ORAC. Finally, the stability of the phenolic compounds in cocoa and carob samples has been studied under human physiological digestion conditions through the development of an in-vitro gastrointestinal model.