Cuscohygrine

Cuscohygrine is a pyrrolidine alkaloid found in coca. It can be extracted from plants of the family Solanaceae as well, including Deadly Nightshade, Datura innoxia and Datura stramonium. Cuscohygrine usually comes with other, more potent alkaloids like atropine or cocaine.

Cuscohygrine (along with the related metabolite hygrine) was first isolated by Carl Liebermann in 1889 as an alkaloid accompanying cocaine in coca leaves (also known as Cusco-leaves).

Cuscohygrine is an oil, which can be distilled without decomposition only in vacuum. It is easily soluble in water and forms an optically inactive crystalline hydrate C₁₃H₂₄N₂O·3H₂O, which melts at 40-41 °C.

References

• PubChem Substance Summary. Retrieved on July 14., 2005.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases.[Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.. Retrieved on July 14., 2005.
• Dr. Ame Pictet (1904). The Vegetable Alkaloids. With particular reference to their chemical constitution. London: Chapman & Hall.