Abstract
Caffeine and theobromine are purine alkaloids widely consumed as stimulants and snacks in coffee and cocoa based foods and most often as part of ingredients in drugs. Man has enjoyed a long history of consumption of caffeine and theobromine. Recent interest in these two alkaloids, however, is centered on their potential reproductive toxicities. Caffeine and theobromine are now known to cross the placental and blood brain barrier thus potentially inducing fetal malformation by affecting the expression of genes vital in development. The developing fetus may not have developed enzymes for detoxification of these methylxanthine alkaloids via demethylation. There is a need, therefore, to protect the conceptus against 'insults' from teratogens of this nature. Apart from its reproductive toxicity, the presence of caffeine and theobromine in cocoa could limit its potentials as a nourishing food. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by nutritionists and the food industry at large. This paper discusses the natural sources, consumption and uses, toxicity and the major advances in the reproductive toxicology of caffeine and theobromine. The biosynthesis of these compounds in plants, metabolism in mammalian systems and the involvemen...Continue Reading
Citations
Jul 30, 2010·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Lisbeth E Gómez-Martínez
Jan 25, 2011·Optometry and Vision Science : Official Publication of the American Academy of Optometry·Donald O Mutti, Amanda R Marks
Feb 22, 2012·Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry·Hana DanhelovaJana Hajslova
Sep 23, 2014·BMC Medicine·Ling-Wei ChenRob M van Dam
Jun 26, 2017·Nutrition Journal·Elena RicciFabio Parazzini
Nov 25, 2003·Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology·Massimo GiannelliCarol Hermon
Dec 24, 2005·Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition·Faidon Magkos, Stavros A Kavouras
Jun 27, 2006·AAPS PharmSciTech·Renata S PagliarussiLuis A P Freitas
Sep 2, 2008·Human Reproduction·C H Ramlau-HansenB H Bech
Dec 6, 2011·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Sathyanarayana N GummadiNandhini Ashok
Oct 30, 2012·Journal of Medical Toxicology : Official Journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·S N TawdeR H Poppenga
Sep 4, 2015·Public Health Nutrition·Ling-Wei ChenRob M van Dam
Oct 26, 2016·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Vanessa de Jesus GaffneyCristina M M Almeida
Jun 11, 2005·Electrophoresis·Unita L Peri-OkonnyNorberto A Guzman
May 17, 2011·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Sathyanarayana N Gummadi, B Bhavya
Apr 6, 2012·Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research·Edward J RyanEllen L Glickman
Nov 11, 2014·Biomedical Chromatography : BMC·Joanna Płonka
Mar 1, 2007·Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry : IJCB·J O AdebayoJ I Okwusidi
Jul 30, 2016·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·João P MonteiroBranca M Silva
Apr 7, 2018·Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition·João MonteiroBranca M Silva
Feb 1, 2021·Animal Reproduction Science·Alyce M SwinbourneWilliam H E J van Wettere
Jul 16, 2014·Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry·Sujit K MohantyMani Subramanian
May 3, 2011·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Aaron T LarsenKarine Auclair
Oct 26, 2018·Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry·Said Toro-UribeMiguel Herrero
Jul 1, 2009·Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology·Olav A Gressner