ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 14 September 2005
Page Count: 5

Alkaloid Content of the Seeds from Erythroxylum Coca var. Coca
Casale, JF
U.S. Department of Justice, VA

Toske, SG
U.S. Department of Justice, VA

Colley, VL
U.S. Department of Justice, VA

(Received 9 March 2005; accepted 4 June 2004)

Abstract

Alkaloid extracts from the seeds of Erythroxylum Coca var. Coca grown in the Chapare Valley of Bolivia were subjected to gas and liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses. Several alkaloids from these seeds were detected and characterized, including methylecgonidine, tropine, 3α-acetoxytropane, ecgonine methyl ester, cuscohygrine, N-norbenzoyltropine, benzoyltropine, hexanoylecgonine methyl ester, cocaine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, and trans-cinnamoylcocaine. Methylecgonidine was determined to be the primary constituent and not an analytical artifact. Additionally, two significant new uncharacterized alkaloids were established as present. Recent evidence suggests that some cocaine processors are adding this seed extraction material to cocaine extracted from coca leaf and may impact cocaine impurity signature profiles.

Keywords:
forensic science, mass spectrometry, cocaine, tropane alkaloids, coca seeds

Paper ID: JFS2005121
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2005121
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