The modified plant could produce about 400 nanograms of cocaine per milligram of dried leaf.
tropane alkaloid that is naturally produced in the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca plant. While notorious for its abuse, cocaine and its derivatives have been used by humans for centuries. Native tribes in South America have been cultivating coca and chewing its leaves for at least 8000 years for their stimulant and hunger-suppressing properties.In the 19th century, cocaine was used as effective local anesthesia for eye surgery, solving the dilemma of ocular surgery without anesthetics.
"Currently, the available production of cocaine in tobacco is not sufficient to meet large-scale demand," explained Sheng-Xiong Huang, a co-author of the study.Despite the drug's infamy, cocaine is chemically similar to a host of anesthetics and stimulants. Unlocking its biosynthetic pathway will lead to the development of new drugs without the addictive qualities of cocaine.
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