The featured molecules this month come from "Chocolate: A Marvelous Natural Product of Chemistry" by Ginger Tannenbaum. As discussed in the article, chocolate is a natural food and is a mixture of many chemical compounds—approximately 400 compounds have been identified in chocolate following fermentation and processing. During processing, a liquid called "chocolate liquor" is formed that is composed of about 55% fat, 17% carbohydrate, 11% protein, and most of the remainder is tannins and ash. Depending on its source, it may also contain theobromine, an alkaloid related to caffeine, in quantities ranging from 0.8% to 1.7%. Caffeine is found in lesser quantities. Theobromine and caffeine are both methyl-xanthines. Theobromine is a smooth muscle stimulant, while caffeine is predominately a central nervous system stimulant. When solidified, the liquor forms bitter (unsweetened) cooking or baking chocolate.
Fully manipulable (Chime) versions of these molecules appear below. These and other molecules are available at Only@JCE Online.
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