Theobromine

About: Theobromine is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1137 publications have been published within this topic receiving 29723 citations. The topic is also known as: 3,7-Dimethylxanthine & Theobromin.

Caffeine Inhibition of Ochratoxin A Production

Abstract: The effect of caffeine and theobromine on growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus ochraceus was determined using microbiological medium. Caffeine produced a small decrease in growth, while reducing ochratoxin production as much as 98%. Theobromine had relatively little effect on growth or ochratoxin production. Screening of caffeine for its effect on the growth of a number of Aspergillus and Penicillium species indicated that caffeine may have biological activity against a variety of mycotoxigenic molds.

Human disposition and some biochemical aspects of methylxanthines.

Abstract: The human disposition of caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine is essentially characterized by rapid and complete gastrointestinal absorption; minimal first pass metabolism; distribution throughout the total body water; extensive and, in the case of caffeine almost complete, biotransformation in the liver; and elimination of metabolites from the body via the kidneys. Methylxanthine metabolism is affected by such factors as diet, smoking, pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives, age, and disease state. These factors have been studied extensively in relationship to caffeine disposition, less so for theophylline, and minimally for theobromine as well as the metabolites of these compounds, in particular paraxanthine and the diaminouracils. The facts that the loss of the 3-methyl group from caffeine to form 1,7-dimethylxanthine (paraxanthine) is the preferential path of metabolism in humans and that an acetylated diaminouracil is one of the major end-products of caffeine metabolism would indicate the need for additional studies of these compounds. The variability often associated with caffeine disposition may be in part genetic in origin since the population is generally biomodally distributed in its ability to acetylate molecules possessing an amino functional group. In addition, caffeine metabolism may be useful as a diagnostic tool to determine an individual's ability to acetylate and thus eliminate potentially harmful compounds from the body, as well as a measure of liver function in terms of enzymatic metabolizing ability.

Theophylline metabolism in premature infants

Abstract: The theophylline metabolite pattern in premature infants was studied with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The identities of metabolites were established by retention time indices and mass chromatograms. In the steady state of a multiple-dose regimen, the urinary metabolites of theophylline identified and quantified were caffeine (9.6 plus or minus 4.8%), theophylline (50.4 plus or minus 6.7%), 3-methylxanthine (1.3 plus or minus 0.7%), 1,3-dimethyluric acid (27.7% plus or minus 8.8%), and 1-methyluric acid (9.3 plus or minus 5.4%). Those in plasma were caffeine (21.4 plus or minus 6.1%), theophylline (73.6 plus or minus 6.5%), 3-methylxanthine (0.7 plus or minus 0.4%), 1,3-dimethyluric acid (2.6 plus or minus 1.2%), and 1-methyluric acid (0.6 plus or minus 0.3%). Occasionally, theobromine, the metabolic breakdown product of caffeine, was found in urine and plasma in small quantities. The demethylation pathway occurring predominantly in adults was substituted by N-methylation to caffeine in premature infants; the other major metabolic pathway of theophylline in adults, C-8 oxidation to 1,3-dimethyluric acid, was slightly diminished. We concluded that the enzyme systems responsible for the C-8 oxidation of theophylline are relatively active in premature infants and that the development of the enzyme systems responsible for oxidative demethylation of theophylline lags behind. The oxidation and demethylation pathways of theophylline in premature infants are significant.