Aluminum chloride

The L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus probiotic bacteria were used from the stock culture collections in the Food Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Melbourne. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Na-alginate, enzymes (salivary α-amylase, porcine pepsin, pancreatin), HCl, acetone, acetic acid, epicatechin, catechin, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (Castle Hill, NSW, Australia). A standard mixture of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was purchased from Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI, USA). The selective media DeMan, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS), nutrient agar & broth, AnaeroGen sachets, yeast extract, beef extract, protease peptone, n-hexadecane, L-cysteine hydrochloride, bile salts, and trichloroacetic acid were purchased from Thermo Fisher Scientific Pty Ltd (Melbourne, VIC, Australia). NaOH, phosphate-buffered saline, CaCl₂, dextrose, K₂HPO₄, (NH₄)₂SO₄, MgSO₄·7H₂O, NaCl, KCl, NaHCO₃, MgCl₂(H₂O)₆, (NH₄)₂CO₃, potassium persulfate, potassium acetate, aluminum chloride were ordered from the Chem-Supply Pty Ltd. (Melbourne, VIC, Australia). Chocolates with 45% and 70% cocoa mass, cocoa powder (pure), cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin were purchased from local supermarket (VIC, Australia).