Alkaline Substances Used with Coca (Erythroxylum coca Lam., Erythroxylaceae) Leaf Insalivation in Northwestern Argentina.

HILGERT, NORMA INÉS; REYES, S.; SCHMEDA-HIRSCHMANN, G

ECONOMIC BOTANY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2001 vol. 55 p. 325 - 329

0013-0001

In rural areas of the moist forests in the upper Bermejo basin of the Provincia de Salta, Argentina, several plant species are involved in the manufacture of alkaline substances collectively known as yista, which are used in conjunction with the insalivation of coca (Erythroxylum coca) leaves. Coqueo, which is the insalivation of coca with alkaline substances (yista [plant ash] in the Andes) dates to prehistoric times and is still widely practiced in northwestern Argentina. Nine samples of plant ash (yista) and lime (lejia) from four different botanical sources were assessed for chemical composition. We found that carbonate and bicarbonate content of our samples play an important role as a buffer system maintaining a relative high pH value in aqueous media. Our results show that despite differences in plant source and element composition, the pH in aqueous media of yista from the upper Bermejo is similar to the llipta and tocra analyzed by Rivier (3). Agglutinants and additives such as table salt or sugar also have an effect on taste perception. Ground raw potato and boiled corn grains are probably the traditional agglutinants. Citrus juice was incorporated after Spanish conquest. New data obtained in this study includes the quantification of carbonate, bicarbonate, cations and anions in Argentinian yista samples. Despite differences in composition all samples display basic pH values in aqueous media thus allowing transformation of the coca alkaloids to free bases. The traditional use of yista is being displaced in urban and suburban areas by the easily available commercial sodium bicarbonate.