SWEET MYSTERIES: ANALYSIS OF PHARMACOLOGICALLY ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN CHOCOLATE

Terence Choy, Gurinderpal Doad, Sheetal Gandhi, Nicole Hair, Patricia Li, Pulsar Li, Caitlin Oksienik, Bryan Shilowich, Michael Swita, Daniel Wunderlich

Advisors: Jean Barmash and Amy Katz

Edited and Revised by David M. Miyamoto 

ABSTRACT

Chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that affect people. The two main active components, theobromine and caffeine, were extracted from different types of chocolates, separated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and amounts of each determined. All chocolate samples examined except one contained these two substances. Milk chocolate appears to contain smaller amounts of theobromine and caffeine, but distinctions among the different dark chocolates were not possible. Two subjective tests were conducted to see if there is a correlation between alertness and concentrations of pharmacologically active ingredients in the different chocolate samples. Neither subjective test showed a clear correlation. Further study, refinement of both the chemical and subjective tests, and statistical analysis are necessary to establish the physiological impact this food has on humans.

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