SEX-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN THE MITIGATION OF GASTROINTESTINAL INFLAMMATION BY COCOA

Cocoa is a popular food ingredient. Research from our laboratory and others have shown that dietary cocoa can mitigate obesity-related inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The effects are related to improved gut health. Our research team recently published two papers showing significant differences in the response of obese mice to dietary cocoa based on sex. Prior studies have reported that sex and sex hormones can impact development of NAFLD and other co-morbidities of obesity in gutmicrobiota-dependent and independent ways. Based on this, we hypothesize that dietary cocoa mitigates inflammation and NAFLD in obese mice in a sex-specific manner, and that the influence of sex hormones on the composition of the gut microbiome and mammalian signaling pathways drive these differences in biological response. We willcharacterize the sex-specific beneficial effects of cocoa against obesity-related enterohepatic inflammation and fatty liver disease. Additionally, we willcharacterize the role of the gutmicrobiome in mediating the sex-specific effects of cocoa against obesity-related inflammation and liver disease.These studies will provide greater insight into the anti-inflammatory and enterohepatic protective activity of cocoa, and the impact of sex as moderator. These data will support the development of personalized nutritional approaches and novel products containing cocoa to improve humanhealth.