Theobroma cacao

Scientific name: Theobroma cacao L.

Botanical family: MALVACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Dominican Republic:

cacao

Other vernacular names

Trinidad and Tobago:

cocoa

Geographical distribution

Native to Mesoamerica and South America, widely cultivated in the tropics.

Botanical description

Small tree of 6 to 8 m, young hirsute branches. Short-species or obovate-oblong leaves of 15 to 30 cm, abruptly acuminate, rounded or obtuse at the base. Inflorescence small, cauliflower; flowers with long petioles; calyx pink, 6-7 mm; petals yellow. Fruit glabrous, ovoid-oblong, gradually attenuated at the apex, 10-sulcate, the grooves irregularly rugose-tuberculate; seeds ovoid.

Voucher(s)

Girón,281,CFEH

asthenia, weakness

fruit (seed), decoction, orally¹

The fruit of Theobroma cacao is a food of relatively widespread human consumption.

For weakness:

prepare a decoction with 7 dried seeds in a cup (250 millilitres) of water, boil for 10 minutes in a covered vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3 times a day for 7 days¹⁹.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for weakness is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the scientific information published.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the weakness persists for more than 7 days, seek medical attention.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 3 years.

The seeds added to the diet (1.22%) of immature rats for 3 months produced no signs of haematological or histopathological toxicity¹⁵, nor at doses of 2.44%¹³.

Lethal intoxications by ingestion of xanthines (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline) are rare. The acute lethal dose of caffeine for humans is 5-10 g. Cacao powder (from dried seeds) contains about 5 mg of caffeine and 250 mg of theobromine per cup^15-16.

Cacao and cacao-containing products can cause allergic reactions¹⁷.

The consumption of large quantities of chocolate products in paediatric use can cause over-excitation, accelerated pulse and sleep disorders in children due to the caffeine content, which can reach 0.2% in chocolate milk and 0.4% in dark chocolate.¹⁷.

Theobroma cacao is classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in “GRAS” category (Generally Regarded as Safe)¹⁸.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The seeds contain benzenoids: benzoic acid and derivatives, mandelic acid and derivatives, phenylacetic acid and derivatives, gallic acid, salicylic acid, protocatechuic acid, phloroglucinol, vanillic acid²; phenylpropanoids: caffeic, chlorogenic, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycinnamic, p-coumaric, ferulic, phenylpropionic acids and derivatives²; alkaloids: caffeine (1.3%)³, theobromine (2.2%)³, theophylline⁴, tryptamine and derivatives, tyrosine and derivatives, hordenine, phenylephrine, longimammesine, longimammidine, longimammin, metanephrine, normetanephrine, synephrine, octopamine, tetrahydro (4,6-dihydroxy-2- methyltetrahydroisoquinoline) isoquinoline, salsoline, quinoxaline derivatives², salsolinol⁵, quinoline, pyrazine and derivatives, pyridine and derivatives⁶; flavonoids: catechin and derivatives, epicatechin and derivatives⁷, procyanidins⁸, kaempferol, rutin²; non-alkaloidal heterocyclic amines: cyclopentapyrazine and derivatives, oxazole and derivatives⁶.

It also contains essential oil⁹ and fixed oil, which have been widely studied^10-11.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of the seed¹²: calories: 456; water: 3.6 g; protein: 12 g (of which 8% are digestible); fats: 46.3 g; total carbohydrates: 34.7 g; fibre: 8.6 g; ash: 3.4 g; calcium: 106 mg; phosphorus: 537 mg; iron: 3.6 mg; β-carotenes: 30 µg; thiamine: 0.17 mg; riboflavin: 0.14 mg; niacin: 1.7 mg; ascorbic acid: 3 mg.

The seeds added to the diet (1.22%) of immature rats for 3 months stimulated red blood cell production significantly (p < 0.05)¹³.

The aqueous extract from dried seeds, orally in humans, had antioxidant and antigastric ulcer activity¹⁴.

The theobromine in the fruit, which is a methylxanthine, is believed to stimulate the central nervous system, relax the bronchial smooth muscle, stimulate the heart muscle and have mild diuretic action^15-16.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984

Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

KENYHERCZ TM, KISSINGER PT, 1978

Determination of selected acidic, neutral, and basic natural products in cacao beans and processed cocoa. Liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Lloydia 41(2):130-139.

SJOBERG AM, RAJAMA J, 1984

Simple method for the determination of alkaloids in cocoa using paper chromatography and UV spectrometry. J Chromatogr 295(1):291-294.

GURNEY KA, EVANS LV, ROBINSON DS, 1991

Extraction of purine alkaloids from cocoa tissues and determination by high- performance liquid chromatography. Phytochem Anal 2(1):15-19.

RIGGIN RM, KISSENGER PT, 1976

Identification of salsolinol as a phenolic component in powdered cocoa and cocoabased products. J Agric Food Chem 24(4):900.

VITZTHUM OG, WERKHOFF P, HUBERT P, 1975

Volatile components of roasted cocoa: basic fraction. J Food Sci 40:911-916.

PORTER LJ, MA Z, CHAN BG, 1991

Cacao procyanidins: major flavanoids and identification of some minor metabolites. Phytochemistry 30(5):1657-1663.

THOMPSON RS, JACQUES D, HASLAM E, TANNER RJN, 1972

Plant proanthocyanidins. Part I. Introduction: the isolation, structure, and distribution in nature of plant procyanidins. J Chem Soc Perkin Trans 1:1387-1399.

VAN PRAAG M, STEIN HS, TIBBETTS MS, 1968

Steam volatile aroma constituents of roasted cocoa beans. J Agric Food Chem 16:1005.

LIMA VASCONCELOS MN, LEAO DE SILVA M, SOARES MAIA JG, GOTTLIEB OR, 1975

Chemical study of cupu seeds. Acta Amazonica 5:293.

ADOMAKO D, 1977

Fatty acid composition and characteristics of Pentadesma butyracea fat extracted from Ghana seeds. J Sci Food Agr 28:384-386.

DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986

Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press, p159.

MORRISSEY RB, BURKHOLDER BD, TARKA SM, 1984

Effects of cocoa upon the growth of weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats fed fluid whole milk diets. Nutr Rep Int 29(2):263-271.

OSAKABE N, YAMAGISHI M, SANPPONGI C, TAKIZAWA T, ADACHI T 1995

Antioxidant-containing beverages for preventing gastric ulcer. Patent-Japan Kokai Tokkyo Koho-07 274,894.

HARDMAN JG, GILMAN AG, LIMBIRD LE (Eds.), 1996

The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 9th ed. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, International Edition.

KATZUNG BG (Ed.), 1999

Basic and clinical pharmacology. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, USA.

PDR Herbals, 2003

Cocoa: Theobroma cacao. The PDR for Herbal Medicines, PDR Electronic Library, Medical Economics Company, PhytoPharm US Institute for Phytopharmaceuticals, Metuchen, USA, Oct. 8, 2003. URL: www.mdcc.edu/medical/library

ANON (Select Committee on GRAS Substances), 1976

GRAS status of foods and food additives. Washington DC, USA: Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration 41, 38644

FLORIPE A, ALTAMIRANO V, 1998

Plantas que curan. Managua, Nicaragua: Imprimatur. p35.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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