coca
Erythroxylum coca · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (696 studies) · ★★★★★
Coca, scientifically known as Erythroxylum coca, is a perennial shrub native to the Andean regions of South America. Historically revered by indigenous cultures, its leaves have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to alleviate fatigue, hunger, and altitude sickness, serving as a profound cultural and botanical cornerstone.
- Family
- Erythroxylaceae
- Native range
- Africa
- Parts used
- Leaf
- Common names
- Not available
- Scientific synonyms
- Not available
Names
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Erythroxylum bolivianum
- Coca
- Hayo
- Erythroxylum chilpei
German:
- Cocastrauch
- Kokablatt
- Kokastrauch
- Cocastrauch
French:
- coca
- Erythroxylon coca
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Erythroxylum cocaTaxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is categorized within the order Malpighiales and the family Erythroxylaceae. Ultimately, its specific taxonomic designation is found within the genus Erythroxylum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Erythroxylaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Erythroxylum | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across multiple continents. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in Guinea-Bissau, while it also inhabits the West-Central Tropical Africa regions of Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Moving toward East Tropical Africa, the species can be found in Tanzania. Additionally, its range extends into Eastern Asia, specifically within the Kazan-retto region. These varied locations demonstrate the wide environmental adaptability of the species.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Kazan-retto | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Northwestern Pacific | Caroline Is. | WCVP |
| Western South America | Bolivia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Colombia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Ecuador | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Erythroxylum coca, is primarily valued for the chemical properties found within its foliage. The most significant part of the species is the coca leaf, which has been used for centuries in traditional Andean medicine to alleviate fatigue and altitude sickness. Specifically, the medicinal alkaloids are concentrated in the green leaves of the shrub. When processed or chewed, these coca leaves serve as a natural stimulant and anesthetic. Whether referred to in a botanical context or a cultural one, the use of Coca leaves remains a central element of indigenous healing practices in South America.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Phytochemistry (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Erythroxylum coca has 103 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cocaine, benzoylecgonine, Ecgonine methyl ester, Benzoyltropine, CALCIUM.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| cocaine | 25 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| benzoylecgonine | 4 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Ecgonine methyl ester | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Benzoyltropine | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CALCIUM | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Coca | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cuscohygrine | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hygrine | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| IRON | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| MAGNESIUM | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
cocaine
- Dr. Duke
- Bulletin on narcotics
- Journal of analytical toxicology
- Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
- NIDA research monograph
View 20 additional sources
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Phytochemistry
- The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
- Arquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia
- Forensic science international
- Ciba Foundation symposium
- Annales de medecine interne
- Polish journal of pharmacology
- Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte
- Journal of forensic sciences
- Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
- Journal of chromatography. A
- Canadian Medical Association journal
- Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse
- Organic letters
- Emergency medicine international
- Toxicology and applied pharmacology
- Journal of natural products
- Food and nutrition bulletin
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
benzoylecgonine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Journal of analytical toxicology
- Forensic science international
Ecgonine methyl ester
- Journal of analytical toxicology
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Forensic science international
Benzoyltropine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
CALCIUM
- Dr. Duke
- Food and nutrition bulletin
Coca
- American journal of physical anthropology
- Tropenmedizin und Parasitologie
Cuscohygrine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Hygrine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
IRON
- Dr. Duke
- Food and nutrition bulletin
MAGNESIUM
- Dr. Duke
- Food and nutrition bulletin
Activities
Erythroxylum coca has 496 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidepressant, Insecticide, Stimulant, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Insecticide | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Stimulant | The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-HT-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ACE-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ANS-Paralytic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ANS-Stimulant | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Erythroxylum coca has 14 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antidepressant, motion sickness, asthma, cachexia, coca.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| antidepressant | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| motion sickness | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | Verhandelingen - Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van Belgie (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cachexia | Verhandelingen - Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van Belgie (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| coca | Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cocaine addiction | Canadian Medical Association journal (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cocaine dependence | Annales de medecine interne (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetes mellitus | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypoglycemia | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| local anesthetic | Verhandelingen - Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van Belgie (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| air-or heat-dried | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| coca leaf extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| homeopathic medicine | Phytochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |