Evaluation of theobromine content and the relationship between cocoa percentages in dark chocolates | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 13 No. 10 (2023): October 2023 / Research Articles Evaluation of theobromine content and the relationship between cocoa percentages in dark chocolates Authors Fatma Hulyam Eren Eastern Mediterranean University, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Famagusta, North Cyprus https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5661-5632 Seray Kabaran DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v13i10.1141 Abstract Background: There are no specific regulations governing the labeling of dark chocolate or its bioactive component quantities.. The main alkaloid of the cocoa bean is theobromine. Chocolate is by far the main source of theobromine in the Western diet. To assess their effects on health, it is essential to understand the ingredients and composition of biologically active substances in chocolates available in stores. Objective: The present study aims to analyze the theobromine contents of commercial chocolates and evaluates the association between the labeled cocoa mass percentage (%), theobromine contents and evaluated non-fat cocoa solid (NFCS) parameters of dark chocolates.  Materials and Methods: Several types of chocolates (bittersweet dark [60-80% cacao], semisweet dark [45-50% cacao], milk chocolate, and chocolate spreads) were analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry with duplicate measurements.. Samples (n=20) typically 6 months apart from production dates have been selected.  Results: Overall range for theobromine content varied from 1.9 to 9.6 mg/g. Of all, bittersweet dark chocolate had the highest (8.1±1.01 mg/g) concentration of theobromine in comparison to semisweet dark chocolate (6.4±0.79 mg/g). Milk-chocolate (2.7±0.26 mg/g) and chocolate-spreads (2.7±0.81 mg/g) had the lowest concentration of theobromine. A strong correlation between theobromine content and declared cocoa solid % was found in both of the dark chocolate categories (r = 0.523, p = 0.081 and r = 0.771, p = 0.009 for semisweet and bittersweet dark chocolate, respectively). NFCS indicated a correlation between the labeled cocoa solid % (R2 = 0.766) and the calculated cocoa solid % (R2 = 0.803) in dark chocolates. A high correlation has also been determined between the labeled cocoa solid percentage and the calculated cacao solid percentage in dark chocolates (R2 = 0.902). Conclusion: The labeled content of the cocoa mass of dark chocolates could be a preliminary information for the consumer about theobromine capacity. Keywords: Theobromine, chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa-percentage, UV-Vis spectrophotometry Author Biography Fatma Hulyam Eren, Eastern Mediterranean University, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Famagusta, North Cyprus Eastern Mediterranean University Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2023-10-24 Issue Vol. 13 No. 10 (2023): October 2023 Section Research Articles License Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com