SHEET /vs/caffeine-vs-theobromine · COMPARISON
Caffeine vs Theobromine: what is the difference?
How they differ
Caffeine and theobromine are the same molecular skeleton with one difference: caffeine carries three methyl groups where theobromine carries two, which is the whole of the C8H10N4O2 against C7H8N4O2 in the table. That one group changes how strongly each binds the brain's adenosine receptors, and caffeine binds far harder, which is why coffee arrives as a jolt and chocolate does not. Theobromine lingers longer instead, with a half-life around 7.2 hours against caffeine's 5, so cocoa's lift is slower and flatter. Both come from the same plants in different proportions: coffee and tea lead with caffeine, cocoa leads with theobromine. The reported oral LD50 also splits them, 192 mg/kg in rats for caffeine against 300 mg/kg in dogs for theobromine, and it is theobromine that dogs clear too slowly to tolerate.
Side by side
| Caffeine | Theobromine | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C8H10N4O2 | C7H8N4O2 |
| Molecular weight | 194.19 g/mol | 180.16 g/mol |
| Family | Plant alkaloids, Stimulants | Plant alkaloids, Stimulants |
| Everyday group | Food & flavor | Plant |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Danger |
| Oral LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 192 mg/kg (oral, rat) | 300 mg/kg (oral, dog) |
| Half-life | 5 h | 7.2 h |
| Found in | Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Cocoa, Soft drinks | Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea |
| CAS number | 58-08-2 | 83-67-0 |
| PubChem CID | 2519 | 5429 |
Structural similarity 0.53 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Caffeine and Theobromine?
- Caffeine and theobromine are the same molecular skeleton with one difference: caffeine carries three methyl groups where theobromine carries two, which is the whole of the C8H10N4O2 against C7H8N4O2 in the table. That one group changes how strongly each binds the brain's adenosine receptors, and caffeine binds far harder, which is why coffee arrives as a jolt and chocolate does not. Theobromine lingers longer instead, with a half-life around 7.2 hours against caffeine's 5, so cocoa's lift is slower and flatter.
- Is Caffeine bigger than Theobromine?
- Caffeine is the heavier molecule, 194.19 g/mol against 180.16 g/mol for Theobromine. Caffeine is C8H10N4O2 and Theobromine is C7H8N4O2.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Caffeine or Theobromine?
- Caffeine, at 192 mg/kg (oral, rat), against 300 mg/kg (oral, dog) for Theobromine. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.
Read the full records: Caffeine and Theobromine.