Erythroxylon coca

(Erythroxylon coca)

Erythroxylon coca

© Daniel M. Bou

Scientific noun: Erythroxylon coca

Family: Eritroxilaceae

Habitat: Native from Andes (Peru and Bolivia), but it is cultivated in many places of South America (Chile, Argentina, Colombia), Africa (Cameroon) and Asia (India, Indonesia, etc.)

Alkaloids: cocaine, benzoilecgonine, tropacocaine, truxiline, cinamilcocine, etc.

Active parts

The leaves (1%)

Properties of Erythroxylon coca

– As a medicinal, its derivatives are used as anaesthetic, as a stimulant to avoid sensations of hunger, thirst and tiredness.

– Extramedicinal in the consumption of the drugs derived from this plant: cocaine, crack, etc.

Toxicity

Minimal by means of leaf ingestion, because the leaf contains very little concentrations of alkaloid. It becomes poisonous when taken by means of its derivative,the cocaine.

Consequences of chewing the leaves of coca

See more information: COCA AND ITS DERIVATIVES

More information about natural medicine.

Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

22 April, 2019

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