Estimation of the caloric value of low-calorie cocoa butter and evaluation of its effects on biochemical and physiological parameters of rats fed high-fat diet in vivo

The first aim of the present work was to assess the caloric value of low-calorie cocoa butter (LCCB) prepared by enzymatic transesterification. A growth method on restricted diet was utilized for the assessment with cocoa butter (CB) as a caloric control. Thirty weanling Wistar male rats were divided into six groups and fed for 3 weeks. The estimated caloric value of LCCB was 4.70kcal/g, exhibited a decrement of 31%. Furthermore, a growth experiment using pair-feeding protocol was performed to evaluate whether high LCCB diet could have any effect on the biochemical and physiological parameters, such as TAG, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, Lee's index, liver index, the atherosclerosis index, and the risk of coronary heart disease. The results revealed that high LCCB dietary intake did not significantly alter the biochemical parameters except for the LDL-c. The fatty acid compositions of plasmas and feces demonstrated that caprylic acid was completely consumed through hepatic portal vein for energy supply, while most behenic acid was excreted. These results suggest that the calorie of CB has been lowered by transesterification and the high LCCB diet do not readily induce obesity or oxidative stress. Practical applications: A method to evaluate the caloric value of fats and oils is presented. A low-calorie cocoa butter may be useful for the chocolate industry.