Cocoa Butter-Theobroma Picture Monograph

Oil of Theobroma – Cocoa Butter

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Oleum Cacao; Butyrum Cacao; Beurrede Cacao; Manteca de cacao.Foreign Pharmacopeias: In all pharmacopoeias examined.

A solid fat expressed from the roasted seeds of Theobroma cacao. A pale yellow solid, becoming white on keeping, with a slight odour of cocoa and a bland taste. It is sometimes deodorised. M.p. 31C to 34C (below body temperature). Slightly soluble in alcohol; soluble in benzene, chloroform. ether, light petroleum. and boiling dehydrated alcohol.

Uses. Theobroma oil is usually employed as the basis for suppositories and pessaries. When the suppositories are prepared by melting and moulding care should be taken not to overheat this basis since overheating will cause a lowering of the solidifying point and subsequent difficulty in setting. Certain medicaments, such as phenol, chloral hydrate, and resorcinol, cause an appreciable lowering of the melting-point of theobroma oil when warmed with it. 

In preparing suppositories containing these, the melting-point may be brought back to normal by incorporating a little white beeswax. This addition may be avoided. except in the case of suppositories containing volatile oils. by using the minimum amount of heat.

In hot climates it is customary to incorporate 5 to 15% of white beeswax according to the prevailing temperature. Different samples of both theobroma oil and white beeswax may each have different melting-points, so that variation will occur in mixtures. Using theobroma oil with m.p. 34C and white beeswax with m.p. 61C, the melting-points of mixtures are as follows: