Botanical Overview
Erythroxylum vacciniifolium is a species in the Erythroxylaceae family. The coca family (Erythroxylaceae) includes tropical shrubs and small trees with alternate leaves and small flowers. The plants produce alkaloids concentrated in the leaves, most notably cocaine and related tropane alkaloids. Species in this family have a long history of traditional stimulant and medicinal use in South America. Phytochemical data for this species are limited at present.
General Description
Erythroxylum vaccinifolium is a flowering plant species in the genus Erythroxylum.
Family Context
The Erythroxylaceae family is primarily neotropical. Notable medicinal members include:
- Coca — 42 documented uses
- Amazonian Coca — 42 documented uses
- Guarda orvalho — 1 documented uses
- Arabillo — 1 documented uses
Active Compounds
Phytochemical research has identified 3 compounds in this species: catuabine-a, catuabine-b, catuabine-c.
The identified compounds include the following categories:
- Alkaloid: nitrogenous compounds with diverse pharmacological activities
Research Status
Although this species has documented phytochemical constituents, its ethnobotanical and clinical documentation remains incomplete. Further ethnobotanical and pharmacological research may reveal additional therapeutic applications for this species.