Cocoa-derived foods are rich in polyphenols obtained from the fermented, roasted and industrially processed seeds of Theobroma cacao L.(Sterculiaceae). Its biological activities are due to procyanidins and flavanols [1]. Administration of a sucrose rich diet (SRD) to normal rats generates insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation and liver dysfunction similar to those observed in human metabolic syndrome [2]. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of a cocoa extract enriched in polyphenols (CEP) in preventing the endocrine-metabolic alterations produced by SRD.

Male Wistar rats were fed with a standard commercial diet and drinking water (Blank); 10% sucrose in water alone (SRD, negative control) or treated with CEP (250 mg/kg, all days) or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, 50 mg/kg, last 5 days) as positive control. At the time of sacrifice blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides and serum transaminases were determined. In liver, we measured: a) oxidative stress markers (GSH and protein carbonyls); b) glycogen content, glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities; and, d) protein levels of Akt/pAkt, eNOS/p-eNOS, iNOS and COX-2.