„In vitro“ and „in silico“ assessment of anti-inflammatory activity of cocoa powders

Abstract

Plants are considered the major sources of biologically active compounds, which provide unlimited opportunities for their use either as medical treatments or as novel drug formulations. Cocoa powder is frequently used in nutrition and is known to have many benefits thanks to its wide range of biological activities. The presented study was focused on the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory potential of extracts obtained from cocoa powder. In vitro assays were employed to evaluate the level of inhibition of cyclooxygenases-1 and -2 activities (COX-1 and COX-2) by tested extracts. Molecular docking was used for in silico prediction of cyclooxygenase isoforms inhibition by selected cocoa powder constituents. The results showed that all tested extracts exerted much higher potential in inhibiting COX-2 activity and may be considered in use as selective inhibitors of COX-2 enzyme. On the other hand, in silico study shows quercetin and clovamide as the compounds with the highest potential to inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2.