Theobromine poisoning, also called chocolate poisoning, is an overdose reaction to theobromine alkaloid xanthine, found in chocolate, tea, cola drinks, aÃÆ'§aÃÆ' berries, and several others. Median lethal foods (LD 50 ) Theobromine dose has only been published for cats, dogs, rats, and mice; this differs from factor 6 across species. At a dose of 0.8-1.5 g (50-100 g cocoa) per day sweats, tremor and severe headaches are recorded. Limited mood effects are shown at 250mg/day and negative mood effects above.
Video Theobromine poisoning
Chocolate
In humans
Cocoa beans contain about 1.2% heavy theobromine, so one ounce (28g) of raw cocoa contains about 0.3 g of theobromine. Processed chocolate, in general, has a smaller amount. Amounts found in very fine candy bars (usually 1,4-2,1 g/kg or 40-60 mg /oz) are much lower than chocolate black or not brown sugar bakers ( & gt; 14 g/kg or & gt; 400 mg/oz ). In general, the amount of theobromine found in chocolate is small enough that chocolate can be safely consumed by humans with the risk of poisoning that is negligible. However, sometimes serious side effects can occur due to consumption in large numbers, especially in the elderly.
In other species
Serious poisoning occurs more frequently in pets, which metabolize theobromine much more slowly than humans, and can easily consume enough chocolate to cause poisoning. If large amounts of consumed chocolates are consumed, other serious hazards are caused by fat and sugar in the patch, which can sometimes trigger life-threatening pancreatitis a few days later. The most common victims of theobromine poisoning are dogs, which can be fatal. Toxic doses for cats are even lower than for dogs. However, cats are less likely to eat chocolate because they can not taste the sweet taste. Theobromine is less toxic to rats, mice, and humans, all of which have LD 50 about 1,000Ã, mg/kg.
In dogs, theobromine biological half-life is 17.5 hours; in severe cases, clinical symptoms of theobromine poisoning can last for 72 hours. Veterinary medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours after ingestion and administration of benzodiazepines or barbiturates for seizures, antiarrhythmias for cardiac arrhythmias, and fluid diuresis. Theobromine is also thought to induce right atrial cardiomyopathy after long-term exposure at levels equivalent to ~ 15 g of dark chocolate per kg body weight and per day. According to Merck Veterinary Manual, brown bread about <1.3 g/kg ( 0.02 oz/lb ) of dog weight is sufficient to cause toxicity symptoms. For example, 0.4 ounces (11 grams) of bread chocolate will be enough to produce mild symptoms in dogs weighing 20 pounds (9.1 kg), while 25% cocoa chocolate bar (like milk chocolate) will be 25% as toxic as brown bakers. An ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is a potentially lethal dose in dogs.
Chemists with the USDA are investigating the use of theobromine as a toxin to control the coyote that preys on livestock.
Maps Theobromine poisoning
Symptoms
The first signs of theobromine poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination. It can develop into cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death.
See also
- Xanthine oxidase
Footnote
References
- Theobromine in ChemIDplus database (9 September 2004)
- Veteran Veteran's Manual (Hazards/Toxicology/Foods Section), Merck & amp; Co., Inc., Chocolate Poisoning . (June 16, 2005)
External links
- Chocolate Toxicity Calculator
- Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter
- Owner's Guide to Toxic Animals: Chocolate in a Wayback Machine (archived August 5, 2009)
- Basic facts of toxicity
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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