Benzoylecgonine (BE)
Definition
The major hydrolysis metabolite of cocaine, formed by carboxylesterase action on the methyl ester of cocaine. Half-life is around 6 hours in blood and longer in urine. BE is the standard urine marker for cocaine use because the parent cocaine clears within 4 to 6 hours but BE persists for two to three days.
Related terms
- 6-Monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM)
- A transient diagnostic metabolite of heroin (diacetylmorphine) formed by the rapid hydrolysis of one acetyl group. Half-life is 6 to 25 minutes...
- Phase I Metabolism
- Functionalisation reactions (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis) that introduce or expose a polar group on the drug molecule, mostly catalysed by cytochrome P450 isoenzymes...
- Phase II Metabolism
- Conjugation reactions (glucuronidation, sulphation, glutathione conjugation, acetylation, methylation, glycine conjugation) that attach a polar endogenous group to the drug or its Phase...
- Post-Mortem Redistribution (PMR)
- The phenomenon where drug and poison concentrations shift between body compartments after death, generally moving out of solid organs back into the...
- Therapeutic, Toxic and Lethal Ranges
- Plasma concentration ranges that guide interpretation, derived from population studies and case reports. They are guidelines, not absolutes. Tolerance, idiosyncratic response, polypharmacy...
- Volume of Distribution (Vd)
- The apparent volume in which a drug is distributed in the body, calculated as dose divided by plasma concentration at time zero....
Explained in
- Drug Metabolism, Distribution and Metabolite IdentificationThe major hydrolysis metabolite of cocaine, formed by carboxylesterase action on the methyl ester of cocaine. Half-life is around 6 hours in blood and longer i...