**5. Conclusions**

Daily supplementation of cocoa extract attenuates myocardial I/R injury, limiting oxidative and nitrosidative stress and inflammation with a reduction in myocardial apoptosis.

**Author Contributions:** S.A., N.A.: experimental work, bench work, and manuscript writing; A.R.: Designed protocol, experimental work, data analysis, manuscript writing; G.I., M.A.G., F.M. and F.G.: Bench work; D.L. and R.M.: Experimental work; B.K. and S.A.M.: Manuscript writing and critical review; G.F.: Supervised and reviewed experimental protocol. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by "Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP-2019/47), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Cardiac Surgery Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy and Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

**Acknowledgments:** Authors are thankful to the King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for providing support through "Researchers Supporting Project (RSP-2019/47), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia". We would like to thank Claudia Fiorini and other staff of the surgical lab and anatomy pathology lab, Policlinico Borgo Roma, University of Verona for their continuous support and technical assistance in molecular analysis.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. The producer of cocoa extract has not been informed before, during and after the execution of the study.
