Synonym: Coca

Biological source: These are the dried leaves of Erythroxylon coca and Erythroxylon truxillense,

Family: Erythroxylaceae.

Geographical source: Native to South American countries like Peru and Bolivia. Cultivated in Sri Lanka and india.

History: The plant was brought to Europe in 1688. Cocaine was isolated in 1860 and its local anaesthetic; effects. were discovered in 1882 by Koellerv from Vienna. It was introduced into medicine sometime in the latter half of nineteenth century

Cultivation, Collection and Preparation

Altitude: 500 to 2000m

Propagation method and period: Seed sown in nursery bed transfer into field with 2m distance.

Collection: The drug is collected over a period of 3 years, at an interval of one year. The leaves are collected in dry weather and dried in the shed or by artificial means.

Chemical constituents:

The drug contains 0.7 to 1.5 % of total alkaloids.

Tropane esters Both Peruvian and Bolivian coca contain less alkaloids, but higher proportion of cocaine.

• Cocaine {methyl benzoyl ecgonine),

• Cinnamyl cocaine (methyl cinnamoyl ecgonine)

• α-truxilline (methyl - α - truxilloylecgonine),

• Tropocaine,

• Benzoyltropine,

• Dihydroxytropane

• benzoyl ecgonine.

Ecgonine is obtained from crude alkaloids which are first isolated by treatment with lime and organic solvents or dilute sulphuric acid.

All free bases may be converted to their hydrochlorides. Further, they are hydrolysed by boiling with dilute hydrochloric acid. Due to this, the different bases liberate ecgonine in following way.

Cinnamyl cocaine ------> ecgonine + methyl alcohol + cinnamic acid

Cocaine -----> ecgonine + methyl alcohol + benzoic acid

α - truxilline -----> ecgonine + methyl alcohol + α - truxillic acid

Uses:

• Cocaine is a local anaesthetic. it is the first known local anaesthetic from which various other synthetic substitutes with similar activity have been prepared.

• In general, coca leaves are used as stimulant, restorative and also in convulsions.

• Cocaine reduces the sedative and respiratory depressant effects of morphine and allied drugs, due to CNS stimulant properties.

• Owing to hallucinogenic and addictive effects of cocaine, it has become the drug of abuse and hence, its uses are limited to ophthalmic surgery and surgery of ear, nose and throat.

Chemical Test

Cocaine powder + sulphuric acid-----> heating-------> addition and mixing of water===== gives the characteristic smell of methyl benzoate.