Benzoylecgonine

Benzoylecgonine (ecgonine benzoate) is the primary metabolite of cocaine. It is formed in the liver by the metabolism of cocaine, catalysed by carboxylesterases, and subsequently excreted in the urine. Small amounts may be traced back to certain OTC (over the counter) medications, after having been metabolised in the liverFact|date=March 2008.

In 2005, scientists found surprisingly large quantities of benzoylecgonine in Italy's Po River and used its concentration to estimate the number of cocaine users in the region. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4746787.stm] In 2006, a similar study was performed in the Swiss ski town of Saint-Moritz using waste water to estimate the daily cocaine consumption of the population. [http://www.courrierinternational.com/article.asp?obj_id=59631]

ee also

*Methylecgonine cinnamate
*Truxilline
*Hydroxytropacocaine
*Tropacocaine
*Ecgonine
*Cuscohygrine
*Dihydrocuscohygrine
*Hygrine

External links