Aυτος εδω ο τυπος αναλυει εξονυχιστικα στη μελετη του γιατι τα δειγματα κοκαινης στις αιγυπτιακες μουμιες μπορουσαν να προερχονται μονο απο την Αμερικη και γιατι αλλα συγγενικα φυτα της Νοτιας Αφρικης και της Αυστραλιας πρεπει να απορριφθουν.
Both alkaloids (nicotine and cocaine) point us towards the New World (Table 1). As a source for
cocaine it is only possible to take the two New World plants Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum
novogranatense into consideration – according to our present knowledge. However, the discovery
of several tropanal alkaloids in the southwest African plant species Erythroxylum zambesiacum N.
Robson might be worthy of further consideration. Robson gave Yahia et al. [26] arguments for a
possible cocaine source for Egyptian mummification in South Africa. This species exists in the
Zambezi River basin as well as in southeast Africa. It is related to the West African species
Erythroxylum manii Oliv. and belongs to the Melanocladus section (uncommon designation for an
infrageneric group) [27, 28]. However, there is no evidence of any cultivation history or indications
of a local exploitation of these species. Also the literature fails to mention any applications of the
bark or leaves by the local population in southern Africa [29].
The samples from the alkaloid study by Yahia (1987) represent seven of Schulz‟s (1907) designated
sections of the genus Erythroxylum. They cover the basic geographical distribution areas in the
world. The distribution pattern study of their acids makes special reference to four sections which
are derived from southeast Africa and from there they expanded into a diversification of the genus.
The distribution pattern and the presence of several tropanal alkaloids, organic acids and benzene
acids within the Old World are clearly different from the examples in the New World. In particular,
the New World species Erythroxylum coca, as a representative of the Archerythroxylum section,
proves – according to Yahia (1987) – that there are no esters or acids in the root bark.
The study of
the alkaloids of Erythroxylum zambesiacum does not therefore provide any evidence of a close
relationship in the chemistry of both classes. The same applies to the Australian species
Erythroxylum australe F. Muell. (Coelocarpus section). All studies concluded that no cocaine has
been detected in the Old World species [30, 31 & 32].
These newer chemical analyses are confirming not only the morphological observations of Schulz
(1907) that the few species of tropical Africa have no immediate relationship to those of America,
but also reinforcing the hypothesis that the cocaine synthesis of Andean species is the result of a
vicariance process (isolated micro evolution). Ethnographic observations provide clear evidence
that the existence of a previously hypothetical coca plant in southern Africa is highly unlikely to
explain the origin of cocaine in ancient Egyptian mummies. All four coca species in Africa were
never cultivated. The same applies to the numerous wild coca relatives in Madagascar. They all
have the same cultural meaninglessness as the wild species in South America. Only the three
cultivated (cocaine containing) species in the New World have been taken into the care of the native
people. Two of them have then been spread by humans over vast areas, first within the Americas
and later outside the western continent landmass.
These new findings are of great importance for the evaluation of a possible transatlantic importation
of cocaine for ancient Egyptian mummification in pre-Columbian times.https://ul.qucosa.de/api/qucosa%3A15120 ... ent/ATT-0/
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