Ingestion of Indigestible Cacao Proteins Promotes Defecation and Alters the Intestinal Microbiota in Mice.

Background: In animals, the health effects of ingested cacao proteins are unknown because the proteins are difficult to extract and purify from cacao beans.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop an extraction and purification method for cacao proteins and reveal the effect of ingestion of cacao proteins on defecation and intestinal microbiota in mice.

Methods: Three groups of mice were fed a control diet (AIN-93 G), a cacao lignin diet (AIN-93 G containing 1.