Recent advances in caffeine and theobromine toxicities: a review
Recent advances in caffeine and theobromine toxicities: a review
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DOI：
10.1023/a:1007976831684
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发表时间：
1997-01-01
影响因子：
4
通讯作者：
Aremu, CY
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Eteng, MU;Eyong, EU;Aremu, CY
咖啡因和可可碱是嘌呤生物碱，广泛用作咖啡和可可食品中的兴奋剂和零食，并且最常作为药物成分的一部分。人类消费咖啡因和可可碱有着悠久的历史。然而，最近对这两种生物碱的兴趣集中在它们潜在的生殖毒性上。现在已知咖啡因和可可碱可以穿过胎盘和血脑屏障，因此可能通过影响发育中至关重要的基因的表达而诱发胎儿畸形。发育中的胎儿可能尚未发育出通过去甲基化对这些甲基黄嘌呤生物碱进行解毒的酶。因此，需要保护受胎免受这种性质的致畸剂的“侮辱”。除了生殖毒性外，可可中咖啡因和可可碱的存在可能会限制其作为营养食品的潜力。这是营养学家和整个食品行业需要解决的问题。本文讨论了咖啡因和可可碱的天然来源、消费和用途、毒性以及生殖毒理学的主要进展。对这些化合物在植物中的生物合成、哺乳动物系统中的代谢以及细胞色素 P450 的参与进行了回顾和总结。支持这些化合物在实验动物中具有毒性的证据，重点是这些发现对人类的影响。该论文最后呼吁谨慎使用咖啡因和可可碱，等待进一步和更详细的调查。
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 alkoloids, 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 allcaloids 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 involvement of cytochrome P450 are reviewed and summarized. Evidence in favor of the toxicity of these compounds in experimental animals is presented with emphasis on the implications of these findings in humans. The paper concludes with a call for caution in the use of caffeine and theobromine pending further and more elaborate investigations.