Characterization and Spectroscopic Quantification of Flavonoids and Catechins from Venezuelan Cocoa to be Considered in Cosmetic Formulations

Polyphenols are compounds found in various plant sources, the most common being the flavonoid group. Within this group, catechins are of interest in the area of cosmetics and skin health. Therefore, the research focused on the extraction and determination of the content of polyphenols, flavonoids and (-)-epicatechin molecules present in cocoa from Canoabo, as a potential antiaging agent for the skin to be used in the cosmetics industry. The extraction of the polyphenolic compounds was carried out from the fermented and dry cocoa sample using a Soxhlet equipment, using methanol as solvent. They were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible spectroscopy, high efficiency liquid chromatography (HPLC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Du Nouy tensiometer. Using FTIR and UV-Visible, the presence of flavonoids was determined. The alcoholic extract of cocoa presented a concentration of total polyphenols equal to 13,500.56 +/- 0.89 mg AG/L, the concentration of flavonoids equal to 7,792.2 +/- 0.3 mg EC/L. Through HPLC it was determined that the amount of (-)-epicatechin was 1,434.4 +/- 0.6 mg EC/kg. Through the determination of the surface tension of a 1% v/v aqueous solution of polyphenolic extract, it was evidenced that polyphenols can behave as amphiphiles. With the results obtained, it can be guaranteed that the extract contains the necessary polyphenols to be incorporated into a formulation with potential cosmetic application.