Extraction Of Theobromine Research Articles

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Fat and Caffeine with Theobromine Retention in the Cocoa Shell

The cocoa shell is a residue of low commercial value, which represents an alternative for obtaining substances of added value for the food and pharmaceutical industry. Substances of interest in the shell include fat and methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine). In order to obtain the extraction behavior with supercritical CO2, a 23 factorial design was proposed with six central points, taking dynamic extraction into consideration. The following factors were involved: pressure (2,000–6,000 psi), temperature (313–333 K), and time (30–90 min). The obtained yield was between 3.66% and 15.30%. Fat was the substance that was extracted most effectively (94.73%). Caffeine demonstrated variability in the residue, with at least six treatments that exceeded a removal rate of more than 90%, while it was practically impossible to extract theobromine. The difference with regard to the extraction of theobromine may be attributed to its low solubility. Characterization using FT–IR showed the modifications before and after the process, providing clear evidence of the changes corresponding to the fat at 2,924, 2,854 and 1,745 cm−1. The results presented establish the basis for the extraction of substances such as fats and methylxanthines from a cocoa shell with the use of CO2.

Proximate Composition, Extraction, and Purification of Theobromine from Cacao Pod Husk (Theobroma Cacao L.)

The aims of this study were to determine the proximate composition of cacao pod husk as well as the optimal conditions for extraction and purification of theobromine from cacao pod husk. The results indicated that cacao pod husk had high contents of moisture and carbohydrate (87.06% and 11.03% by fresh weight, respectively), but low contents of crude protein, crude lipid, and ash (0.31%, 0.12%, and 1.48% by fresh weight, respectively). The optimal conditions for extraction of theobromine from cacao pod husk were of 70% ethanol, with an extraction time of 90 min, and 1 as the number of extractions. A concentration of 10% by volume of 10% lead acetate solution was the best selection for purification of the crude extracts containing theobromine from cacao pod husk. Under these optimal conditions, theobromine content obtained from cacao pod husk was 6.79 mg/100 g dry weight. The finding from this study is a valuable contribution for obtaining theobromine from an abundant, inexpensive, renewable, and sustainable source for potential application in the nutraceutical, medical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Ultrasound-Assisted Method for Extraction of Theobromine and Caffeine from Cacao Seeds and Chocolate Products

An ultrasound-assisted method for extraction of theobromine (TB) and caffeine (CF) from cacao seeds and chocolate products was developed. This extraction was carried out in 100 mL of heated water at 80 °C by using a 12.7-mm i.d. ultrasound probe and applying 240 W of power for 180 s. In order to quantify TB and CF, the aqueous extracts were treated with Carrez reagent to remove interferences. Then, 10 mL of the aqueous extract was adjusted at pH 12.5 and 10 mL of chloroform solvent was added. Ultrasound radiation was applied at 160 W of power for 30 s in order to transfer CF to the organic phase. The resulting emulsion was centrifuged at 6,000 rpm for 5 min to separate the phases. The photometric monitoring was at 276 nm for CF and at 273 nm for TB. This extraction method is simpler than the conventional liquid–liquid extraction which uses separatory funnels, and obtains similar results. By applying ultrasound in cacao seeds, the efficiency of extraction increased by 57.7 % for CF and 43.6 % for TB and by between 12 and 23 % for both analytes in chocolate products, in comparison with those results obtained by a conventional stirring extraction method.

Focused microwaves-assisted extraction of theobromine and caffeine from cacao

With the aim of improving the extraction efficiency of Theobromine (TB) and Caffeine (CF) from cacao, a focused microwaves assisted method was developed. To optimize the extraction a 23 factorial design was used with optimum values: 5min of irradiation time, 210W of power and 100mL of the extractant (water). To quantify TB, a study about the reagents that must be added to the extracts (Carrez reagents: (Zn(CH3COO)2 and K4Fe(CN)6) and a Pb(CH3COO)2 solution) in order to eliminate interferences (molecular weight high compounds) was carried out. The extraction method was applied to cacao seeds, cacao powder and cacao peels. The focused microwave method was more efficient compared with a standard mechanic stirring method: for TB from 15.0% (in cacao seeds) to 72% (in cacao peels) and from 36% (in cacao peels) to 153% (in cacao seeds) for CF.

Extraction of methylxanthines from guaraná seeds, maté leaves, and cocoa beans using supercritical carbon dioxide and ethanol.

New experimental data on the extraction of caffeine from guaraná seeds and maté tea leaves, and theobromine from cocoa beans, with supercritical CO2 were obtained using a high-pressure extraction apparatus. The effect of the addition of ethanol to carbon dioxide on the extraction efficiency was also investigated. Caffeine extraction yields of 98% of the initial caffeine content in both wet ground guaraná seeds and maté tea leaves were obtained. Extractions of caffeine from guaraná seeds and maté tea leaves also exhibited a retrograde behavior for the two temperatures considered in this work. In the removal of theobromine from cocoa beans, a much smaller extraction yield was obtained with longer extraction periods and consequently larger solvent requirements. The results of this study confirm the higher selectivity of CO2 for caffeine in comparison with that for theobromine, and also the influence of other components in each particular natural product on the extraction of methylxanthines. The effect of the addition of ethanol to carbon dioxide on the extraction of methylxanthines was significant, particularly in the extraction of theobromine from cocoa beans. In general, the use of ethanol results in lower solvent and energy requirements and thereby improved extraction efficiency.