Theobromine

Theobromine is a special kind of chemical found mainly in the cacao plant, which is used to make chocolate. It is also called xantheose. This compound has a bitter taste and can dissolve a little in water. Besides chocolate, theobromine is in other foods such as tea, some types of holly plants, and kola nuts. It looks like a white or colorless solid, though some samples may appear yellowish.

In industry, theobromine is used as an additive and a base for making certain cosmetics. When people eat theobromine, their bodies process it in the liver, turning it into other substances. It reaches its highest level in the blood about two to three hours after being eaten because it can mix with fats in the body. Theobromine works mainly by blocking certain brain receptors and has a mild stimulating effect on the heart and helps open up airways in people.

However, theobromine can be harmful or even deadly to some animals like dogs and cats because their bodies process it much more slowly than humans do.

Structure

Theobromine is a flat molecule from a group called purines. It is also called a dimethyl xanthine. Other related compounds include theophylline, caffeine, paraxanthine, and 7-methylxanthine. These are similar but have different arrangements.

History

Theobromine was found in cacao beans in 1841. A chemist named A. Woskresensky made this discovery. In 1882, another scientist named Hermann Emil Fischer showed how to make theobromine from a compound called xanthine.

Etymology

The word Theobromine comes from Theobroma, the name of the cacao tree group. "Theo" means "god" and "broma" means "food" in Greek. So, it roughly means "food of the gods." Even though it sounds like it might contain bromine, it does not — the name is just a bit tricky!