[sfpro]

Hi,

I am trying to write an essay on the immunoregulatory properties of chocolate for my 2nd year chemistry project. I have read dozens of papers but time and time again the view point is predominantly biological. What I keep reading are things like "flavonoids act as inhibitors for many pro-inflammatory mediators eg cytokines and eicosanoids", however I cannot find the mechanism by which the inhibit.

I also read some chemical properties such as  flavonoids neutralise free radicals, chelate metals like Fe2+ and Cu2+ and that their tricyclic structure determines their anti oxidant properties but I cannot find the effects of these with relation to the immune response.

The essay is not long, only 1000 words including references. Ideally I would like to find the mechanisms by which some of these processes occur. If anyone knew of a good book or a good paper on this and could point me in that direction I would be forever indebted to you!

Many, many thanks in advance

[phth]

Your quotation is the authors summarizing the topic for somebody who is considered adept.  They may not know how it is inhibited, and the authors may not state how because they do not want to embellish the truth. Try searching for cytokine enzyme mechanisms, etc.  This stuff may be over your head...
https://www.rcsb.org/structure/2b5i
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/310/5751/1159