Does cocoa flavonoid epicatechin protect pancreatic beta cell viability and function against oxidative stress?
Ins-1E cells treated with EC showed a remarkable recovery of cell viability and insulin secretion damaged by t-BOOH, indicating that integrity of secreting and surviving machineries in the EC-treated cells was notably protected against the oxidative insult.
The evidence that C4S was able to inhibit NF-kB and apoptosis activation supports the hypothesis that the C4S effect depends on reduction of ROS production, although other direct effects cannot be excluded.