Effective Dose of Cocoa as a Preemptive Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Agent Assessed through Pain Scale and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) in an Acute Pain Animal Model

Background: Pain is a significant issue for 40-50% of hospital patients, with 10-50% of acute pain cases potentially progressing to chronic pain. Pain-associated inflammation often involves the release of mediators, including Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α). Cocoa beans contain polyphenols, catechins, anthocyanidins, and proanthocyanidins, compounds believed to possess analgesic properties. This study aims to assess cocoa's potential as an oral preemptive analgesic agent in an acute pain mouse model, with an emphasis on its impact on inflammation through TNF-α levels. Methods: This true experimental study involved 24 male white mice split into four groups: a control group (K0) receiving a placebo, a treatment group receiving 15 mg/kg BW oral paracetamol (Kpct), a treatment group receiving 0.5 mg/g BW cocoa (K1), and a treatment group receiving 1 mg/g BW cocoa (K2). Pain response was measured using TNF-α levels and the von Frey test. The Kruskal-Wallis test and One-Way ANOVA were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Cocoa at doses of 0.5 mg/g BW and 1 mg/g BW substantially reduced TNF-α levels (75.82 ± 7.77 and 70.79 ± 11.50, respectively) compared to the control and paracetamol groups (98.22 ± 14.74 and 92.81 ± 2.64). On the first day, compared to the control group's 1.82 ± 0.78 von Frey values, the cocoa-treated groups' values (6.20 ± 2.72 and 7.63 ± 4.11) were notably higher. There were no notable variations in von Frey values across the groups on the second day. However, a correlation was found between von Frey values on the first and second days. Conclusion: Cocoa can potentially serve as an effective preemptive analgesic agent, reducing pain and inflammation primarily by reducing TNF-α levels. These results provide validity to the use of cocoa as an alternative therapy in acute pain management.