Cocaine plant

Niemann s success would lead to the first widespread cocaine epidemic. Since the full extent of the drug s addictiveness was not known, cocaine soon gained use as a local anesthetic. Peru became the site of a network of German-owned plantations and factories, all attempting to cultivate the new miracle drug. The Dutch also soon entered the competition, cultivating their own cocaine plants in Java—a variety that many felt was far superior to the German version. 

The prototype, and historically first, substance utilized to prevent or treat local pain was a South American folk medicine an infusion made from the leaves of the coca bush (cocaine plant), Erythoxylum coca and several other species. Coca is native to the uplands of South America, particularly in what is today Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Large-scale cultivation and production is now mainly in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia at elevations up to 6,000 feet. The alkaloidal content of coca leaves is 0.7-2.5%, the main... 

Common/vernacular names Bolivian or Huanuco coca ( . coca var. coca), Truxillo coca E. novogranatense var. truxillense), Columbian or Java coca (E. novogranatense var. novogranatense)), Amazonian coca E. coca var. ipadu), cocaine plant, and spadic. 

Tlie previous chapter traced the evolution of a biologically ac-I ive compound isolated from plant material—cocaine—into an extensive series of drugs by chemical dissection of that molecule. A-iiother frequently applied approach to drug development depends on I ho identification and study of the organic compounds that regu-l. ite most of the functions of mammalian organisms the hormones,... 

Many alkaloids have pronounced biological properties, and a substantial number of the pharmaceutical agents used today are derived from naturally occurring amines. As a few examples, morphine, an analgesic agent, is obtained from the opium poppy Papaver somnifemm. Cocaine, both an anesthetic and a central nervous system stimulant, is obtained front the coca bush Erythroxylon coca, endemic to upland rain forest areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and western Brazil. Reserpine, a tranquilizer and antihypertensive, comes from powdered roots of the semitropical plant Rauwolfia serpentina. Ephedrine, a bronchodilator and decongestant, is obtained front the Chinese plant Ephedra sinica. 

At one time, Coca-Cola actually contained a form of cocaine. These days, the primary stimulant in Coca-Cola and many other beverages is caffeine. Other stimulants are less obvious. Chocolate contains theobromine, a caffeinelike stimulant. Nondrowsy cold remedies contain pseudoephedrine, a relative of ephedra, another plant-alkaloid stimulant. 

Cocaine comes from the Coca plant, grown in the high arid, mountainous areas of South America. It is usually extracted from the leaves of the plant but the leaves themselves can be chewed and a smokable paste made from the leaves is mainly used in countries where the plant grows. 

One of the most common psychostimulants, cocaine, is derived from the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca) and has a long history as a stimulant. It has been used for centuries in Bolivia and Peru as a tonic and other preparations to alleviate fatigue (Siegel 1985 Hill et al. 1977). 

Another of the main systemic routes is oral (Table 3.2). Sometimes raw plant material is chewed in order to release the psychoactive compound into the mouth cavity. Examples include the chewing of coca leaves to extract cocaine (Chapter 4) and the tobacco leaf to extract nicotine (Chapter 5). The problem with this is that many other plant chemicals remain in the mouth, and many of these are carcinogenic. Tobacco leaf chewing leads to oral cancers of the mouth, lips, jaw and tongue, often... 

Cocaine A potent psychostimulant with local anaesthetic properties extracted from the South American plant Erythroxylon coca. 

Mari F, Politi L, Biggeri A, Accetta G, Trignano C, Di Padua M, Bertol E (2009) Cocaine and heroin in waste water plants a 1-year study in the city of Florence, Italy. Forensic Sci Int 189 88-92... 

Cocaine is derived from the coca plant Erythroxylon coca. This drug is a water soluble alkaloid that is readily absorbed through mucous membranes. Cocaine s activity is due... 

Coca is arguably the most infamous of the stimulant plants. The number of Americans who have tried cocaine rose from 5.4 million in 1976 to 21.6 million in 1982. In 1995, an estimated 1.5 million Americans used cocaine, and 500,000 used it on a weekly basis (Bolla et al. 1998). 

Cocaine is the principal psychoactive alkaloid from the coca plant (figure 4.16). Other tropine alkaloids include c/s-cinnamoyl cocaine, trans-cinnamoyl cocaine, o-truxillin, and j truxillin (Gruenwald et al. 1998). 

When we look at another tropane alkaloid, cocaine, we get a different scenario. Cocaine is obtained from the coca plant Erythroxylum coca, and is a powerfnl local anaesthetic, bnt now known primarily as a dmg of abuse. There is no chiral centre in the acid portion, which is benzoic acid, but the optical activity of cocaine comes from the alcohol methylecgonine. Because of the ester function in methylecgonine, the tropane system is no longer symmetrical, and the four chiral centres all contribute towards optical activity. 

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