Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Cocaine (free base or salt form) is used as a
local anesthetic, mainly for eye (cornea), nose,
and throat during surgery. Owing to ocular
toxicity, its use in ophthalmology is limited
and it has been replaced by other agents
(MARTINDALE). Coca leaf and its extracts are
not used in pharmaceutical preparations in the
United States.

Food. Coca extract, from which cocaine is
removed, is used together with extracts of kola
(Cola nitida), cinnamon, ginger, lime, orange
peel, and others as a flavor component in cola
drinks; average maximum use level is reported
to be 0.02%. Other food products in which the
decocainized extract is used include alcoholic
beverages, frozen dairy desserts, and candy.
The highest average maximum use level is
0.055% in frozen dairy desserts.

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Leaf
sold as a herbal tea in the United States.^31

Traditional Medicine. Used in South Amer-
ica by natives to relieve hunger, fatigue, rheu-
matic pains, hangover, sore throat, asthma,

stomach pain, constipation, nausea, cramps,

diarrhea, general malaise, altitude sickness,

mental disturbances, hemorrhage, amenor-

rhea, and other conditions; the leaves are

usually chewed with alkaline substances

such as plant ashes, lime from burnt seashells,

bone, or limestone, often carried in a gourd.

During this process, absorption of cocaine is

increased.^1

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Coca leaf formerly used in diverse products

in the United States, including soft drinks,

wine, cigarettes, cigars, syrups, cordials,

chocolate tablets, and preparations for ca-

tarrh, hay fever, opium and morphine addic-

tion, and timidity in young persons.^32 Coca

was formerly official in U.S.P. Cocaine and

cocaine hydrochloride are official in N.F. and

U.S.P., respectively. Coca and cocaine are

controlled as narcotic agents in the United

States.

Regulatory Status. Decocainized essential

oils, natural extractives, and solvent-free

oleoresins ofE. cocaand otherErythroxylum

species are GRAS (§182.20).

REFERENCES

See the General References forFEMA;GOODMAN AND GILMAN;GRIEVE;HORTUS3rd;HUANG;MORTON3;
NANJING;TERRELL;UPHOF;USD26th.

1. T. Plowman, in G. T. Prance and
   J. A. Kallunki, eds,Ethnobotany in the
   Neotropics, New York Botanical Garden,
   New York, NY, 1984, p. 62.


2. J. M. Moore and J. F. Casale, J.
   Chromatogr. A, 674 , 165 (1994).


3. J. M. Moore et al.,J. Chromatogr. A, 659 ,
   163 (1994).


4. J. R. Ehleringer et al.,Nature, 408 , 311
   (2000).


5. B. Holmstedt et al.,Phytochemistry, 16 ,
   1753 (1977).
   6. G. H. Anilian et al.,J. Pharm. Sci., 63 ,
   1938 (1974).
   7. G. Espinel Ovalle and I. Guzman Parra,
   Rev. Colomb. Cienc. Quim. Farm., 1 ,95
   (1971); throughChem. Abstr., 76 , 89994s
   (1972).
   8. E. Machado,Raymondiana, 5 , 5 (1972).
   9. M. Sauvain et al.,J. Ethnopharmacol., 56 ,
   179 (1997).


6. T. Plowman and L. Rivier, Ann. Bot.
   (London), 51 , 641 (1983).

214 Coca