Cocoa powder, cocoa extract and epicatechin attenuate hypercaloric diet-induced obesity through enhanced β-oxidation and energy expenditure in white adipose tissue

•Cocoa extract attenuate fat mass accumulation and decrease insulin resistance.•Cocoa extract are associated to the upregulation of PPARγ and CD36 in rWAT.•Cocoa powder are associated to lipogenesis related to the downregulation of ACC.•Cocoa extract are associated to the upregulation of PPARα, PGC1α, SIRT1 and UCP1.•Cocoa powder and extract attenuate WAT inflammation by increasing ApN levels. Cocoa flavan-3-ols have been shown to exert a positive influence on obesity-related metabolic risk factors. This study evaluated the effects of cocoa powder (Co), cocoa extract (Co-Ex) and its main flavanols (Epi, Cat and PB2) on the expression of genes involved in WAT lipid metabolism in a rat model of hypercaloric diet-induced obesity. Co, Co-Ex and Epi are associated with adipogenesis, β-oxidation and energy expenditure in WAT linked to upregulating the expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), PPARα, PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC1α), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Additionally, these treatments are associated with decreases in body weight gain and total fat mass and insulin resistance, reduced lipogenesis, and inflammation related to downregulating acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene expression, decreasing TNF-α and increasing ApN concentrations in WAT. Co, Co-Ex and Epi may be considered to be potential agents for the treatment of obesity-related metabolic disorders.