Author
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Johnson, Emanuel |
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Submitted to: Phytochemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/18/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: This research was conducted to determine whether alkaloids present in leaves of Erythroxylum coca var. coca Lam. (E. coca) were also present in branch sections of E. coca containing reproductive tissue, i.e., branch segments with and without flower buds, immature flower buds, unopened flower buds, opened flowers and young leaves at the end of branches. Pieces of E. coca branches not more than 3 inches long with and without flower buds, immature flower buds, unopened flower buds, opened flowers and young leaves at the end of branches of E. coca were harvested after leaf drop, separately placed into labeled containers and stored below freezing (32 deg F). Each plant part was extracted to determine alkaloid content (% dry weight) by gas chromatography (GC). The alkaloids identified were: hygrine, tropinone, methyl ecgonine, cuscohygrine, tropacocaine, cocaine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, and trans- cinnamoylcocaine. GC analyses showed that the alkaloids were present in the reproductive tissue and young leaves of E. coca. However, of the alkaloids identified in reproductive tissue, cocaine was the most abundant and cuscohygrine was least and may indicate that it is rapidly incorporated into cocaine or not required for its formation. This information is of interest to folk-medicine, pharmaceutical industry, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the United Nations (Narcotics Control), plant breeders, researchers, colleges and universities, in that it revealed the presence and/or absence of alkaloids in reproductive tissue of E. coca during its reproductive phase of development. Technical Abstract: The current research was conducted to determine if alkaloids present in leaves of Erythroxylum coca var. coca Lam. (E. coca) were also present in reproductive tissue of E. coca i.e., branch segments with & without flower buds, immature flower buds, unopened flower buds, opened flowers & young leaves. Pieces of branches not more than 3 in. long with & without flower buds were harvested from E. coca after leaf drop, separately placed into labeled containers & stored below freezing (32 deg F) in a freezer. After collecting & storing branch segments, immature flower buds, unopened flower buds, opened flowers & young leaves were collected & separately stored as above. The opened flower was dissected into its constituents (the stamen, pistil, pedicel & perianth) after storage. The branch segments without flower buds, with quiescent flower buds, immature flower buds, unopened flower buds, opened flowers (dissected constituents) & young leaves, were removed from the freezer, extracted for alkaloids & injected into a gas chromatograph (GC) for alkaloid determination (% dry weight). The alkaloids identified were: hygrine, tropinone, methyl ecgonine, cuscohygrine, tropacocaine, cocaine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, & trans- cinnamoylcocaine. GC analyses showed that alkaloids were present in the reproductive tissues & young leaves of E. coca. Cocaine was the most abundant alkaloid in all E. coca tissue analyzed & cuscohygrine the least. Cocaine content in unopened flower buds, pedicles, perianths & stamens was three times that in immature flower buds; & in pistils of opened flowers, two times that in the immature flower buds. Young leaves contained the most alkaloids. |
