Ricerc@Sapienza

The electrochemical oxidation of theophylline was investigated by controlled potential electrolysis in two different organic solvents and in water for comparison. The anodic oxidation was monitored by cyclic voltammetry in situ and UV‐Vis spectrophotometry ex situ and the final electrolyzed solutions were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry after chromatographic separation with an HPLC‐PDA‐ESI‐MS/MS system.

Caffeine (CAF) is present in many consumer products as coffee, tea, chocolate, soft and energy drinks, resulting the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in human dietary. Many of its physiological effects are well known. Recently, antioxidant properties have been suggested for CAF that seems showing protective effects against oxidative stress (OS).Inert to hydrogen (H)/electron (E) scavengers as ABTS·+ and DPPH, CAF has been proposed as an excellent HO· scavenger.

Background: Caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine are methylxanthines commonly found in coffee, tea, cola, and cocoa. Other sources may be soft drinks or energy drinks. All of them are stimulants of the nervous system and can be used for the treatment of some diseases. The three xanthines produce addiction with typical abstinence symptoms. Among young people, the consumption of energy beverages is increasing, and the growing market causes concern about the caffeine intake. To evaluate intake of methylxanthines, their accurate determination can be helpful.