Theobromine

Description

Theobromine is a methylxanthine alkaloid and derivative of caffeine that has been found in cocoa beans and has diverse biological activities. It is an adenosine A₁ receptor antagonist (IC₅₀s = 200-280 μM in radioligand binding assays using rat brain membranes). Theobromine (150 μg/ml) increases AMPK phosphorylation and inhibits adipocyte differentiation, ERK and JNK phosphorylation, and IL-6 and TNF-α production in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes cultured in differentiation medium. It inhibits decreases in renal cortex SIRT1 activity and increases in NADPH oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as reduces kidney hypertrophy and albuminuria in a spontaneously hypertensive rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes when administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day. Theobromine is toxic to dogs with an LD₅₀ value of 250 to 500 mg/kg.

Description

Theobromine is the primary alkaloid in chocolate—it gives unsweetened chocolate its bitter taste. It gets its name from the cacao tree genus?Theobroma, but it’s also found in tea leaves and kola nuts. A. Woskresensky discovered theobromine in cacao beans in 1841, and E. Fischer synthesized it in 1882. If you replace the nitrogen-bearing hydrogen group with a methyl group, you have caffeine.

The Uses of Theobromine

A metabolite of Caffeine

What are the applications of Application

Theobromine is a weak phosphodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine receptor blocker