Methylecgonine, also known as ecgonine methyl ester is a prominent
tropane alkaloid
Tropane alkaloids are a class of bicyclic .2.1alkaloids and secondary metabolites that contain a tropane ring in their chemical structure. Tropane alkaloids occur naturally in many members of the plant family Solanaceae. Certain tropane alkaloi ...
found in
coca
Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. Coca leaves contain cocaine which acts as a mild stimulant when chewed or ...
leaves.
It is metabolite of
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
,
and may be used as a precursor for it. It also occurs as minor alkaloid in roots of many ''
Datura
''Datura'' is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, Vespertine (biology), vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devil's t ...
'' species such as ''
Datura stramonium
''Datura stramonium'', known by the common names thornapple, jimsonweed (jimson weed), or devil's trumpet, is a poisonous flowering plant in the ''Datureae, Daturae'' Tribe (botany), tribe of the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its likely origi ...
''
and ''
Datura innoxia''.
Biosynthesis
It is the last step before cocaine is biosynthesized in coca plants with the help of
BAHD acyltransferase.
Animal study
Animals study suggest that it has beneficial effect on cognition and protects against
cocaine lethality.
It showed inhibition of
sodium channel
Sodium channels are integral membrane proteins that form ion channels, conducting sodium ions (Na+) through a cell (biology), cell's cell membrane, membrane. They belong to the Cation channel superfamily, superfamily of cation channels.
Classific ...
s only at very high dosages.
See also
*
Ecgonine
References
Tropane alkaloids found in Erythroxylum coca
{{Alkaloid-stub