Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Among the Quechua of the Peruvian highlands, dried coca leaves are steeped in hot water to make a light tea taken after meals to calm stomach cramps and to relieve fatigue; a typical preparation uses about 2 g of leaf in 200 ml water, steeped for five minutes, as reported by Cevallos et al., 2022. The Aymara of the Bolivian Altiplano boil a handful of fresh leaves together with a strip of root bark for twenty minutes, producing a decoction that is drunk in the early morning to alleviate altitude‑related nausea and to promote urination; this use is documented by Bennett et al., 2021. Shuar healers in the Ecuadorian Amazon crush fresh leaves into a moist paste and apply it directly to cuts or insect bites, leaving the poultice in place for about ten minutes before rinsing, a remedy described by García, 2020.

A mild coca leaf tea is prepared by placing one level teaspoon (about 2 g) of dried leaves in a cup (≈240 ml) of water just off the boil, letting it steep for five minutes, then straining. The tea is usually drunk warm. Safety: because coca contains cocaine alkaloids, the infusion should be avoided by pregnant women, people with hypertension or heart disease, or those taking MAO inhibitors, and intake should be limited to one cup per day. If desired, a small amount of honey can be added after steeping, though traditional preparations are taken unsweetened.

Coca leaves contain a well‑characterised mixture of alkaloids, chiefly cocaine, cinnamoylcocaine and truxillines, along with flavonoids such as quercetin and rutin, tannins, and essential oils rich in sesquiterpenes. They also provide significant ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which enhances the antioxidant capacity of the leaf. These constituents together account for the mild stimulant, anti‑inflammatory, and antioxidant actions reported in traditional preparations.

Current research, including a 2023 systematic review, is exploring the anti‑inflammatory and neuroprotective potential of coca leaf extracts, while specialty herbal shops in Europe and North America sell commercially prepared coca tea. Nonetheless, many countries restrict the sale of raw coca leaves, allowing only low‑alkaloid extracts under strict labeling, reflecting a balance between cultural heritage and public‑health safety. Andean communities continue to brew infusions and apply poultices, preserving this tradition within contemporary practice.

General Uses Top

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Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Coca leaf extracts, after removal of the bulk of cocaine, are used as flavoring agents in the soft‑drink industry. The original Coca‑Cola formula employed a decocainized coca leaf extract to impart a characteristic aroma; contemporary manufacturers continue to use a legally processed extract under strict purity specifications. Similar extracts are employed by artisanal producers of Andean liqueurs and specialty chocolate, providing a herbal note without narcotic effects.

Industrial and craft applications:
The controlled extraction of coca alkaloids is carried out in licensed facilities for analytical research and for the regulated production of flavor‑grade extracts. These operations employ standard solvent‑based methods, yielding an alkaloid‑rich fraction that is further purified to meet the low‑cocaine limits required for food‑grade applications.

Scientific/model use:
Erythroxylum coca serves as a model organism for the study of tropane alkaloid biosynthesis. Its genome has been sequenced (e.g., reference sequence publicly available in the Erythroxylum coca Genome Project), enabling comparative genomics within Malpighiales. The plant is used in transcriptomic analyses of cocaine‑synthesizing genes, in metabolic pathway elucidation, and as a standard in alkaloid quantification protocols for laboratory research.

Properties relevant to use:
The leaves contain a mixture of tropane alkaloids (cocaine, cinnamoylcocaine, truxillines) together with flavonoids and terpenoids that contribute to their characteristic flavor profile. These compounds are readily soluble in ethanol and water‑alcohol mixtures, facilitating extraction. The low residual cocaine content after processing meets regulatory thresholds for flavor applications.

Standards and regulation:
Under the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961, as amended), coca leaf cultivation and processing are restricted; only countries with specific exemptions (e.g., Peru and Bolivia) may authorize limited production for licit flavor‑use. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration permits coca extracts as food additives only when the cocaine concentration is ≤0.001 % (10 ppm) of the final product (21 CFR 172.555). Similar limits exist in the European Union (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011).

Sustainability and sourcing:
Legal cultivation is practiced by smallholder farmers in the Andean highlands using traditional agroforestry systems. Sustainable‑production initiatives focus on soil conservation, shade‑grown cultivation, and compliance with national licensing requirements to reduce illegal harvest pressure.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Erythroxylum bolivianum	Burck	Teysmannia 1: 456 (1890)
Erythroxylum chilpe	E.Machado	Raymondiana 5: 36 (1972)

Common names Top

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Filter by language:

Language	Common/alternative name
English	coca
English	coke
Spanish	coca
Spanish	hayo
Arabic	كوكا
ay	kuka
Azerbaijani	erythroxylon coca
Azerbaijani	kokain kolu
Belarusian	Какаінавы куст
Bengali	কোকা
Catalan	coca
Czech	kokainovník pravý
Czech	rudodřev koka
Czech	koka pravá
Czech	erythroxylon coca
Czech	coca
Czech	koka
Danish	koka
Danish	coca
German	cocastrauch
German	kokastrauch
German	kokablatt
Greek	κόκα
Esperanto	kokao
Estonian	koka
Estonian	kokapõõsas
Estonian	koka-punapuu
Basque	koka landare
Basque	koka
Persian	کوکا
Finnish	bolivian koka
Finnish	aitokokapensas
Finnish	kokapensas
French	coca
French	erythroxylon coca
frr	kokastrük
gd	coca
Hebrew	קוקה
Hebrew	קוקה אמריקנית
Croatian	koka
Upper Sorbian	wšědny kokakerk
Indonesian	coca
Indonesian	koka
io	kokao
Italian	erythroxylon coca
Italian	coca
Japanese	コカ
Japanese	コカ茶
Japanese	コカノキ
Georgian	კოკაინის ხე
Korean	코카나무
Korean	코카
Lithuanian	tikrasis kokainmedis
Lithuanian	koka
Latvian	koka
Latvian	kokas krūms
Latvian	kokas augs
Malagasy	kôka (zavamaniry)
Macedonian	Кока
Norwegian Bokmål	erythroxylon coca
Norwegian Bokmål	koka
Dutch	cocaplant
Dutch	erythroxylon coca
Dutch	coca
Norwegian Nynorsk	koka
oc	còca
os	Кокæ
Polish	krasnodrzew pospolity
Polish	kokainowy krzew
Portuguese	folha de coca
Portuguese	erythroxylon coca
Portuguese	coca
Quechua	kuka
Quechua	qoqa
Quechua	erythroxylon coca
Quechua	erythroxylon
Quechua	coca
Romanian	coca
Romanian	eritroxylon coca
Russian	Кока
Russian	кокаиновый куст
Serbo-Croatian	koka
Slovenian	koka
Serbian	кока
Swedish	tugga blad
Swedish	kokabuske
Swedish	kokablad
Thai	โคคา
Turkish	erythroxylon coca
Turkish	koka bitkisi
Turkish	koka ağacı
Turkish	koka
tt	кәкәин куагы
Ukrainian	Кока
Chinese	古柯
Chinese	药古柯
Chinese	可卡

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Name	Authority	First published in
Erythroxylum coca var. coca		Unknown
Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu	Plowman	Bot. Mus. Leafl. 27: 49 (1979)

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Africa click to expand
- East Tropical Africa
  - Tanzania
- West Tropical Africa
  - Guinea-Bissau
- West-central Tropical Africa
  - Cameroon
  - Gulf Of Guinea Islands

Asia-temperate click to expand
- Eastern Asia
  - Kazan-retto

Asia-tropical click to expand
- Indian Subcontinent
  - Assam

Pacific click to expand
- Northwestern Pacific
  - Caroline Islands

Southern America click to expand
- Brazil
  - Brazil North
- Western South America
  - Bolivia
  - Colombia
  - Ecuador
  - Peru

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!

Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000679758
UNII	Z26EPJ7TB4
USDA Plants	ERCO41
Tropicos	12500004
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:330132-2
The Plant List	kew-2801328
Open Tree Of Life	57960
Observations.org	440876
NCBI Taxonomy	289672
IPNI	330132-2
iNaturalist	64337
GBIF	2873939
Freebase	/m/0dzyp
EPPO	EYTCO
EOL	483360
Elurikkus	322821
US Library of Congress	sh85027554
USDA GRIN	15794
Wikipedia	Erythroxylum_coca

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.

Accession	Assembly
Accession	Name	Level	Submitter	Released	Coverage	Size
GCA_027123465.1	ASM2712346v1	Scaffold	Iridian Genomes	2022-12-20	120	1.00 Gb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Discovering a mitochondrion-localized BAHD acyltransferase involved in calystegine biosynthesis and engineering the production of 3β-tigloyloxytropane

Zeng J, Liu X, Dong Z, Zhang F, Qiu F, Zhong M, Zhao T, Yang C, Zeng L, Lan X, Zhang H, Zhou J, Chen M, Tang K, Liao Z

Nat Commun

29-Apr-2024

PMCID:	PMC11058270
doi:	10.1038/s41467-024-47968-0
PMID:	38684703

Endovascular Management of Acute Lower Limb Ischemia Linked to Cocaine Abuse: A Case Report

Muñoz Durán JA, Echeverri Isaza S, Muñoz-Caicedo B, Hidalgo Oviedo JM

Cureus

12-Apr-2024

PMCID:	PMC11089485
doi:	10.7759/cureus.58144
PMID:	38741798

Amazonian useful plants described in the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective

Silva LN, Oliveira EC, Baratto LC

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed

26-Feb-2024

PMCID:	PMC10897987
doi:	10.1186/s13002-024-00663-2
PMID:	38409064

Endovascular Treatment of Acute Lower Limb Ischemia Associated with Cocaine Use: A Scoping Review

Muñoz Durán JA, Echeverri Isaza S, Hidalgo Oviedo JM, Sanin E, Alvarez-Vallejo S, García Gómez V

Cureus

22-Feb-2024

PMCID:	PMC10960250
doi:	10.7759/cureus.54672
PMID:	38523932

Peritonitis on sigmoidal perforation in a cocaine user: A rare case report

Mabrouk MY, Guellil A, Haitam S, Deflaoui T, Jabi R, Bouziane M

Int J Surg Case Rep

20-Jan-2024

PMCID:	PMC10830506
doi:	10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.109287
PMID:	38245942

Eco-friendly approaches to phytochemical production: elicitation and beyond

Jalota K, Sharma V, Agarwal C, Jindal S

Nat Prod Bioprospect

10-Jan-2024

PMCID:	PMC10776560
doi:	10.1007/s13659-023-00419-7
PMID:	38195902

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Traditional Antimalarial and Antidengue Plants: A Mechanistic Perspective

Kamaraj C, Ragavendran C, Prem P, Naveen Kumar S, Ali A, Kazmi A, Ullah A, Chandra Satish Kumar R, Khan SU, Luna-Arias JP, Mashwani ZU, Balasubramani G, Rehman SU

Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol

28-Oct-2023

PMCID:	PMC10625492
doi:	10.1155/2023/1860084
PMID:	37927532

Imaging plant metabolism in situ

Horn PJ, Chapman KD

J Exp Bot

27-Oct-2023

PMCID:	PMC10938046
doi:	10.1093/jxb/erad423
PMID:	37889862

Artemisia brevifolia Wall. Ex DC Enhances Cefixime Susceptibility by Reforming Antimicrobial Resistance

Zafar A, Wasti Y, Majid M, Muntaqua D, Bungau SG, Haq IU

Antibiotics (Basel)

20-Oct-2023

PMCID:	PMC10604168
doi:	10.3390/antibiotics12101553
PMID:	37887253

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cocaine Addiction: A Narrative Review

Chmiel J, Chojdak-Łukasiewicz J, Leszek J

J Clin Med

13-Oct-2023

PMCID:	PMC10607438
doi:	10.3390/jcm12206511
PMID:	37892650

Use of medicinal plants during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

da Silva AM, Horsth AL, Timóteo ÉD, Faria RJ, Bazoni PS, Meira EF, dos Santos JB, da Silva MR

Sci Rep

02-Oct-2023

PMCID:	PMC10545667
doi:	10.1038/s41598-023-43673-y
PMID:	37783716

Effects of maternal toxic substance consumption during breastfeeding on lactic acid bacteria abundance and nutritional content

Amezcua López JA, García Morales E, Pérez-Rulfo Ibarra D, Solís Pacheco JR, Aguilar Uscanga BR

Int J Med Sci

11-Sep-2023

PMCID:	PMC10583185
doi:	10.7150/ijms.87995
PMID:	37859696

Biosynthesis, herbivore induction, and defensive role of phenylacetaldoxime glucoside

Müller AT, Nakamura Y, Reichelt M, Luck K, Cosio E, Lackus ND, Gershenzon J, Mithöfer A, Köllner TG

Plant Physiol

16-Aug-2023

PMCID:	PMC10756763
doi:	10.1093/plphys/kiad448
PMID:	37584327

Application of Paper-Based Microfluidic Analytical Devices (µPAD) in Forensic and Clinical Toxicology: A Review

Musile G, Grazioli C, Fornasaro S, Dossi N, De Palo EF, Tagliaro F, Bortolotti F

Biosensors (Basel)

18-Jul-2023

PMCID:	PMC10377625
doi:	10.3390/bios13070743
PMID:	37504142

From the Bush to the Brain: Preclinical Stages of Ethnobotanical Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Drug Discovery—An Australian Example

Kumar P, Mathew S, Gamage R, Bodkin F, Doyle K, Rossetti I, Wagnon I, Zhou X, Raju R, Gyengesi E, Münch G

Int J Mol Sci

04-Jul-2023

PMCID:	PMC10342267
doi:	10.3390/ijms241311086
PMID:	37446262

Phytochemical Profile Top

Add a new one!

Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Alkaloids and derivatives
1-(1-Methylpyrrolidin-2-yl)acetone	94157	Click to see CC(=O)CC1CCCN1C	141.21	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JF960967F https://doi.org/10.1300/J044V10N02_06 https://doi.org/10.1080/10826079508009331 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3
Cuscohygrine	1201543	Click to see	224.34	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1021/JF960967F https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85105-Z https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)83107-8 https://doi.org/10.1080/10826079608014004 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00667-2
Cuskhygrine	441070	Click to see	224.34	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JF960967F https://doi.org/10.1080/10826079608014004 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)83107-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85105-Z https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00667-2
Hygrine	440933	Click to see	141.21	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1080/10826079508009331 https://doi.org/10.1300/J044V10N02_06 https://doi.org/10.1021/JF960967F
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Tropane alkaloids
(-)-Ecgonine methyl ester	104904	Click to see	199.25	unknown	https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705900/ https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90061-1 https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14105J
3beta-Phenylacetoxytropane	11086474	Click to see	259.34	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9673(96)00466-9
8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylic acid, 3-hydroxy-8-methyl-, methyl ester, (1R,2R,3S,5S)-	443844	Click to see CN1C2CCC1C(C(C2)O)C(=O)OC	199.25	unknown	https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705900/ https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90061-1
Tropinone	79038	Click to see CN1C2CCC1CC(=O)C2	139.19	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters
8-Azabicyclo(3.2.1)octan-3-ol, 8-methyl-, benzoate (ester), endo-	637578	Click to see	245.32	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14105J
Benzoylecgonine	448223	Click to see CN1C2CCC1C(C(C2)OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)C(=O)O	289.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705900/
Benzoyltropein	10834	Click to see	245.32	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3
Cocaine	446220	Click to see CN1C2CCC1C(C(C2)OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)C(=O)OC	303.35	unknown	https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705900/ https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1993-11-1208 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90060-X https://doi.org/10.1300/J044V10N02_06 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(96)00672-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)87026-2 https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600631223 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97546-0 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00667-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(02)00071-6 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50049A005 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(96)00864-3 https://doi.org/10.3987/COM-88-S115 https://doi.org/10.1039/C39800001170 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(82)90051-4 https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14105J https://doi.org/10.1080/10826079308019707 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90059-3 https://doi.org/10.1021/JA00217A051
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters / o-Hydroxybenzoic acid esters
Methyl Salicylate	4133	Click to see COC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1O	152.15	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-962643
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols
1-Hexanol	8103	Click to see CCCCCCO	102.17	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-962643
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alanine and derivatives
(2S)-2-(phenylazaniumyl)propanoate	6946449	Click to see CC(C(=O)[O-])[NH2+]C1=CC=CC=C1	165.19	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1993-11-1208
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alpha amino acids / L-alpha-amino acids
L-Arginine	6322	Click to see	174.20	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1993-11-1208
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Phenylalanine and derivatives
D-Phenylalanine	71567	Click to see	165.19	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1993-11-1208
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyridines and derivatives / Pyrrolidinylpyridines
3-(1-Methylpyrrolidin-2-yl)pyridine	942	Click to see	162.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90061-1
Nicotine	89594	Click to see	162.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90061-1
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyrroles / Substituted pyrroles / N-substituted pyrroles / N-methylpyrroles
1-Methylpyrrole	7304	Click to see CN1C=CC=C1	81.12	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-962643
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyrrolidines / N-alkylpyrrolidines
(1-Methylpyrrolidin-2-yl)acetic acid	14021870	Click to see CN1CCCC1CC(=O)O	143.18	unknown	https://doi.org/10.3987/COM-88-S115
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Cinnamic acid esters
[(1R,5S)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl] (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate	1237281	Click to see CN1C2CCC1CC(C2)OC(=O)C=CC3=CC=CC=C3	271.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9673(96)00466-9
3alpha-cis-Cinnamoyloxytropane	10945555	Click to see	271.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9673(96)00466-9
Cinnamoylcocaine	6440936	Click to see	329.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14105J https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(81)90060-X https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705900/ https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5
Cinnamoylcocaine, (Z)-	12798013	Click to see	329.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14105J https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00030-5

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Erythroxylum coca

Table of Contents

Details Top

Ethnobotanical Use Top

General Uses Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Gallery Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top