Biomaterial Database

Cocaine in blood of coca chewers. 1979

B Homstedt, and J E Lindgren, and L Rivier, and T Plowman

Coca leaves (Erythroxylum coca Lamarck) and powder (5 - 10 g) were taken orally by human subjects in the same way as South American natives do. The cocaine, as measured by mass fragmentography, was immediately detected in the blood, reached peak concentrations from 10 - 150 ng/ml plasma at 0.38 - 1.95 hours, and persisted in the plasma for more than 7 hours. Half-lives of the elimination of cocaine were calculated and ranged from 1.0 to 1.9 hours. The absorption half-lives ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 hours. The shape of the curves fits with the subjective effects reported. There is no reason to believe that the stimulating effect achieved by the use of either coca leaves or powder is not due to cocaine.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007199	Indians, South American	Members of indigenous South American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, South American,Indigenous South Americans,American Amerind, South,American Indian, South,American, Indigenous South,Americans, Indigenous South,Amerind, South American,Indian, South American,Indigenous South American,South American Amerind,South American Amerinds,South American Indian,South American Indians,South American, Indigenous,South Americans, Indigenous
D008409	Mastication	The act and process of chewing and grinding food in the mouth.	Chewing
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D003041	Coca	Any of several South American shrubs of the Erythroxylon genus (and family) that yield COCAINE; the leaves are chewed with alum for CNS stimulation.	Erythroxylon,Cocas,Erythroxylons
D003042	Cocaine	An alkaloid ester extracted from the leaves of plants including coca. It is a local anesthetic and vasoconstrictor and is clinically used for that purpose, particularly in the eye, ear, nose, and throat. It also has powerful central nervous system effects similar to the amphetamines and is a drug of abuse. Cocaine, like amphetamines, acts by multiple mechanisms on brain catecholaminergic neurons; the mechanism of its reinforcing effects is thought to involve inhibition of dopamine uptake.	Cocaine HCl,Cocaine Hydrochloride,HCl, Cocaine,Hydrochloride, Cocaine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults