Ecgonidine (anhydroecgonine) is an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

related to

ecgonine Ecgonine (tropane derivative) is a tropane alkaloid found naturally in coca leaves. It has a close structural relation to cocaine: it is both a metabolite and a precursor, and as such, it is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions, as are s ...

and

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

. It has a structure with a

cycloheptene Cycloheptene is a 7-membered cycloalkene with a flash point of −6.7 °C. It is a raw material in organic chemistry and a monomer in polymer synthesis. Cycloheptene can exist as either the ''cis''- or the ''trans''-isomer. : ''trans''-Cy ...

ring, with a nitrogen bridge, and a carboxylic acid

side chain In organic chemistry and biochemistry, a side chain is a chemical group that is attached to a core part of the molecule called the "main chain" or backbone. The side chain is a hydrocarbon branching element of a molecule that is attached to a ...

Methylecgonidine Methylecgonidine (anhydromethylecgonine; anhydroecgonine methyl ester; AEME) is a chemical intermediate derived from ecgonine or cocaine. Methylecgonidine is a pyrolysis product formed when crack cocaine is smoked, making this substance a useful ...

is produced by

pyrolysis The pyrolysis (or devolatilization) process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere. It involves a change of chemical composition. The word is coined from the Greek-derived elements ''py ...

in the process of smoking crack cocaine, and then subsequently metabolised to ecgonidine, and so these two compounds can be tested for as a specific biomarker for crack cocaine use. Ecgonidine is formed as a metabolite of methylecgonidine, and so the relative concentrations of the two compounds can be used to gauge how recently crack cocaine was smoked. If levels of methylecgonidine are higher, then the drug was smoked recently; however after a longer time period mainly ecgonidine will be present. Ecgonidine has a half-life in the body of around 94–137 minutes, and so can be used to detect use of crack cocaine up to 8–10 hours after the drug is consumed.

References

{{Reflist Tropane alkaloids found in Erythroxylum coca Carboxylic acids Cycloalkenes

See also

References