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Caffeine

Caffeine
2D structure of caffeine
3D structure of caffeine
Clinical data
Pronunciation /kæˈfn, ˈkæfn/
AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: A
  • US: C (Risk not ruled out)
Dependence
liability
Physical: low–moderate
Psychological: low
Addiction
liability
Low / None
Routes of
administration
oral, insufflation, enema, rectal, intravenous
Drug class stimulant
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • In general: unscheduled
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability 99%
Protein binding 25–36%
Metabolism Primary: CYP1A2
Minor: CYP2E1,CYP3A4,CYP2C8,CYP2C9
Metabolites Paraxanthine (84%)
Theobromine (12%)
Theophylline (4%)
Onset of action ~1 hour
Biological half-life Adults: 3–7 hours
Neonates: 65–130 hours
Duration of action 3–4 hours
Excretion urine (100%)
Identifiers
Synonyms Guaranine
Methyltheobromine
1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine
Theine
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
PDB ligand
ECHA InfoCard 100.000.329
Chemical and physical data
Formula C8H10N4O2
Molar mass 194.19 g/mol
3D model (Jmol)
Density 1.23 g/cm3
Melting point 235 to 238 °C (455 to 460 °F) (anhydrous)
See also: data page
Structure of a typical chemical synapse

Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug. Unlike many other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world. There are several known mechanisms of action to explain the effects of caffeine. The most prominent is that it reversibly blocks the action of adenosine on its receptor and consequently prevents the onset of drowsiness induced by adenosine. Caffeine also stimulates certain portions of the autonomic nervous system.

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine, a methylxanthine alkaloid, and is chemically related to the adenine and guanine bases of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). It is found in the seeds, nuts, or leaves of a number of plants native to South America and East Asia and confers on them several survival and reproductive benefits. The most well known source of caffeine is the coffee bean, a misnomer for the seed of Coffea plants. Beverages containing caffeine are ingested to relieve or prevent drowsiness and to improve performance. To make these drinks, caffeine is extracted by steeping the plant product in water, a process called infusion. Caffeine-containing drinks, such as coffee, tea, and cola, are very popular; in 2005, 90% of North American adults consumed caffeine daily.


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Wikipedia

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