World Cocoa Foundation Research Update: March 2007
From NutraIngredients USA: Should cocoa flavanol be classed as a 'vitamin'? By Stephen Daniells. 3/12/2007- Epicatechin, a flavanol found in cocoa, tea and wine, could be so important to the diet that it should be classified as a vitamin, says a Harvard researcher. Norman Hollenberg from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital reports that the island-dwelling Kuna people, who do drink up to 40 cups per week of the flavanol-rich cocoa, have a 10 per cent lower risk of four of the five most common killer diseases: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes, than people who live on mainland Panama. Source: International Journal of Medical Sciences. Volume 4, Pages 53-58 "Does flavanol intake influence mortality from nitric oxide-dependent processes? Ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and cancer in Panama." Authors: V. Bayard, F. Chamorro, J. Motta, N.K. Hollenberg, Chemistry & Industry, 12 March 2007, Page 5, "Vitamin rethink on the cards?, "Author: M. Murphy.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=74876.
From NutraIngredients USA: Science stacks up for flavonoids for heart health. By Stephen Daniells, 3/12/2007- A diet rich in flavonoids, compounds in fruit, vegetables, coffee, tea and chocolate, could slash the risk associated to cardiovascular disease, says a joint Norwegian-US study. Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition March 2007, Volume 85, Pages 895-909 "Flavonoid intake and cardiovascular disease mortality: a prospective study in postmenopausal women" Authors: P.J. Mink, C.G. Scrafford, L.M. Barraj, L. Harnack, C.-P. Hong, J.A. Nettleton, D.R. Jacobs Jr
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=74891&m=1NIU312&c=bqmgjdbpkcgzlmu.
From NutraIngredients USA: Cocoa polyphenols may offer diabetes benefits – study. By Stephen Daniells, 3/21/2007- Dietary supplementation with cacao liquor proanthocyanidins (CLPr) reduced blood glucose levels in obese diabetic mice, and may offer human diabetics significant benefits, says a new study from Japan. Source: Nutrition (Elsevier) Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2007.01.007 "Dietary supplementation with cacao liquor proanthocyanidins prevents elevation of blood glucose levels in diabetic obese mice" Authors: M. Tomura, H. Takano, N. Osakabe, A. Yasuda, K.-I. Inoue, R. Yanagisawa, T. Ohwatari, H. Uematsu.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=75143.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Chocolate Tree-A Natural History of Cacao, Revised and Expanded Edition by Allen M. Young; will be available in May 2007 from The University Press of Florida, University of Florida, 15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611-2079; 224pp. black & white illustrations, table, appendix, bibliography, index; ISBN 978-0-8130-3044-9; paper $24.95
Phymatotrichopsis root rot in Venezuela. To view an interpretative summary of the latest Phymatotrichopsis root rot information, go to: http://www.colmenaresresearch.com. For more information, contact Dr. Antonio Colmenares, Plant Pathology.
colmenaresresearch@colmenaresresearch.com
Dr. Antonio M. Colmenares C. received degrees from The Universidad Central de Venezuela (Agronomy Engineering, 1981) and Masters in Agronomy Sciences, 1989. He is currently the Coordinator of the Agricultural Phitopathology Department at the Universidad Romulo Gallego in Venezuela.
Phymatotrichopsis Root Rot is a new disease for Venezuela, reported for the first time in the eastern part of the North coast of the Aragua State, on the 19 of May 2000, in Prunus persica L. Later the disease was discovered in the south of the Mérida State, in Pasiflora edulis L., Theobroma cacao L., Persea americana L., Matisia cordata Humb. & Bonpl., Coffea arabica L., Xanthomosa Sagittifolium, Manihot utilisima, Musa sp., Rosa sp., Pasiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa., Inga sp. The disease was also reported in the municipality of Camatagua, Aragua State, causing significant losses in Carica papaya L., Mangifera indica L., Lycopersicum esculentum L., Cucumis sativus L., and Cucúrbita maxima L.
MEETING: Eduardo Somarriba forwarded the following: In the name of the organizers (CATIE, CIRAD, UWB & ICRAF), I would like to thank WCF for its willingness to be a sponsor of the 2nd International Symposium on Multi-Strata Agroforestry Systems with Perennial Crops that will be held September 17-21, 2007, at CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica. Contributions to this symposium via posters, presentations and participation in the debates during plenary discussions are welcome. Symposium Organizing Committee, Philippe Vaast, Representative of CIRAD for Central America.
RECENT CACAO PUBLICATIONS:
**Eskes, A.B. Efron, Y. (eds.) Final report of the CFC/ICCO/IPGRI project on "Cocoa GermplasmUtilization and Conservation: a Global Approach.” CFC Technical Paper No. 50; ISBN-13: 978-92-9043-734-5, 224 pages with 25 contributed articles (Genomics&PhysiologyGenetics31.4KB). Also at: http://www.cacaonet.org/
**Garcia-Alamilla, P.; Salgado-Cervantes, M. A.; Barel, M.; Berthomieu, G.; Rodriguez-Jimenes, G.C.; Garcia-Alvarado, M. A. Moisture, acidity and temperature evolution during cacao drying. J. Food Engineering, 2007, vol. 79, p.1159-1165. (PostHarvestDrying425KB).
**Young, A.; Severson, D.W. Comparative analysis of steam distilled floral oils of cacao cultivars (Theobroma cacao L., Sterculiaceae) as attractants to flying insects: Implications for a Theobroma pollination syndrome. J. Chemical Ecology, 1994, vol. 20, p. 2687-2703. (Genomics&PhysiologyBiochemistry1481 KB).
**Lagunes-Galvez, S.; Loiseau, G.; Paredes, J.L.; Barel, M.; Guiraud, J.P. Study on the microflora and biochemistry of cocoa fermentation in the Dominican Republic. International Journal of Food Microbiology, vol. 114, p. 124-130, 2007. (PostHarvestFermentation441KB).
**Faria, D.; Baumgarten, J. Shade cacao plantations (Theobroma cacao) and bat conservation in southern Bahia, Brazil. Biodiversity and conservation, vol. 16, p. 291-312, 2007. (Faria2005Environment&SustainabilityBiodiversity485KB)
**Kufer, J.; Grube, N.; Heinrich, M. Cacao in Eastern Guatemala - a sacred tree with ecological significance. Environment Development and Sustainability, vol. 8, p. 59-608, 2006. (Socio-EconomicHistory150KB).
**Nielsen, D. S.; Teniola, O.D.; Ban-Koffi, L.; Owusu, M.; Andersson, T.S.; Holzapfel, W.H. The microbiology of Ghanaian cocoa fermentations analysed using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. International J.Food Microbiology, vol. 114, p. 168-186, 2007. (PostHarvestFermentation172KB).
**Kessler, M.; Kessler, P. J. A.; Gradstein, S. R.; Bach, K.; Schmull, M.; Pitopang, R. Tree diversity primary forest and different land use systems in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 14, P. 547-560, 2005. (Environment&SustainabilityAgroforestry354KB).
**Bayard, V.; Chamorro, F.; Motta, J.; Hollenberg, N.K. Does flavanol intake influence mortality from nitric oxide-dependent processes? Ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and cancer in Panama. International journal of medical sciences, vol.4, p. 53-58, 2007. (HumanNutritionFlavanols139KB).
**Paim, V. R. L. de M.; Luz, E. D. M. N.; Pires, J. L.; Silva, S. D. V. M.; Souza, J. T. de; Albuquerque, P. S. B.; Santos Filho, L. P. dos. Sources of resistance to Crinipellis perniciosa in progenies of cacao accessions collected in the Brazilian Amazon. Scientia Agricola, vol. 63, p. 572-578, 2006. (Diseases&Pests Resistance41.4KB)