powdered here in uk:
Herbs Of The Gods Cola Nut
The plot thickens...
http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/var031.htm
The two most potent species are Cola acuminata and Cola nitida.
Chemistry Of Kola Nut
The primary active chemicals in kola nut are caffeine and theobromine. They can be found in all parts of the plant, but are found in their highest concentrations in the seeds. Caffeine is a mild stimulant found in coffee, tea, foods, drinks, etcetera.
It stimulates the central nervous system and improves mental alertness, as well as reducing physical fatigue and appetite. Theobromine produces stimulant effects similar those of caffeine, but it is milder. The amount of caffeine in kola nut can vary, depending on the species.
Concentrations of 2.0%-3.5% caffeine are common in kola nuts from Cola acuminata and Cola nitida (the species most often consumed). The amount of theobromine in these species is almost always somewhere near 1.0%, or a bit less. Other chemicals found in kola nut include betaine and theophylline, both are similar to caffeine in chemical structural and effect.
Kola nut was one of the original ingredients in coca-cola. It was utilized for the taste and caffeine content it added. Until the early 1900's, fresh coca leaves were also an ingredient in coca-cola. The coca leaves were added for their taste and stimulant effect (coca leaves contain cocaine).
Whole nuts can be got from here it says:
http://www.bouncingbearbotanicals.com/kola-nut
-p-94.html?affiliate_banner_id=1&ref=284
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More on difference between whol and powdered Kola nut:
http://vibrantbeauty.net/p/272579/kola-nut-powder-wildcrafted-african-30gm.html
Indigenous to coastal rainforests of West and Central Africa, the seeds of this beautiful tree have been prized for their powerful stimulant effect. A member of the same family as Cacao, the Sterculiaceae. The whole seed is carefully peeled to remove the two large cotyledons within the kernel shell. These are dried to form the Kola "nuts" which are powdered for use. This powder contains between 1% and 3.5% caffeine (usually about 2%). Theobromine is also present in amounts just under one percent.
The fresh Kola nuts are particularly enjoyed where the trees grow, and this preference is known to have solid grounds in scientific fact: the xanthines (caffeine and theobromine) are bound together with an unusual compound called kolacatechin, which itself breaks down upon drying into the tannin Kola Red. The kolacatechin allows the bound chemicals to be absorbed in a joined fashion, with a unique synergistic action not the same as when experienced as individual substances in dried Kola powder. For those of us not so fortunate as to have access to a nearby Kola tree in season, the dried product must suffice. In fact, the dried Kola nut has been so craved and appreciated in Africa that extensive intertribal trade networks managed to have passed it from coast to coast, north to south. In past generations, the Kola nut was treated as a unit of money.
The reddish-brown powder may be taken in its natural state, either eaten straight, mixed with honey or packed in capsules. A normal dose is 1-2 teaspoons. Kola is traditionally eaten before a meal to aid digestion and thought to improve the flavor of anything eaten after it. An interesting drink may be prepared by stirring the Kola powder into cold water (a tablespoon per cup) and gradually bringing it to a near boil, reducing the heat to simmer for five minutes before straining. The drink may be sweetened to taste, but it is best without cream or other flavorings. It has a unique flavor, not unpleasant. The many types of soft drinks which use some Kola essence have a hint of this taste. In fact the original Coca-Cola got its name from Kola nut and coca leaf once being major herbal ingredients.
The effects usually are first noticed as an increase in depth of breathing accompanied by spine tingling rushes of energy which begin in the lower back and swirl up to the base of the head, climaxing with a tightening of the scalp and a feeling of the hair standing on end. It can range from a quick flash up the spine to a full-on, one-by-one opening of the chakras as a kundalini-like mobilization of vital force rises to the crown of the head. Most people notice this sort of experience, especially those who tend to have body consciousness as an inclination. Kola usually comes on very smoothly, accelerating somatic and cerebral energy for about an hour. It is good to use that peak time for enjoying the ride. Since the skin’s pleasure receptors are especially effected, the sensation of touch becomes very pleasurable indeed. Delicate stroking or very light massage can be an enjoyable thing to share with a partner. This is enhanced by calming the mind and focusing on the surface of the skin while in a relaxed posture. The combination of an alert, receptive state of mental stimulation with the sensitization of pleasure in touch make Kola a delightful experience.
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But Kolatine does not exist?
COLA ACUMINATA Schott and End!. Cola (Kola); Bissy (Bichy, Busy) Nut.
Cola nuts are used in Jamaica for stomach pains and as a purge when poison is suspected. The nuts are
grated and boiled like coffee or taken with strong rum. A little cola is sometimes added to country chocolate and
it is considered to allay hunger. The plant is said by Lunan to have been brought to Jamaica from the Guinea
Coast and planted out near Guanaboa by one Mr. Goffe. In Africa the nut is chewed to promote digestion, is
considered to be a tonic, stimulating and antiperiodic, and is also used in dysentery. The chemical composition
of cola nuts appears to be complex and a matter for some difference of opinion. 11 is stated that I to 2.35 per
cent of caffeine and a small amount of the bromine are present. Starch makes up about 46 per cent of the dry
nut; glucose and sucrose are present; fats (up to 3 per cent) tannin and gum are found. Early work indicated
the presence of a compound called kolatine said to be a tanno-glucoside or a catechin compound but this has not
been found by subsequent investigators. Kolanine, described in earlier work as a glucoside splitting up into
caffeine, glucose and kola red. and occurring principally in fresh nuts, was later said to be a mixture of caffeinetannate
and theobromine-tannate, the latter being a glucoside. Kola red may also be a glucoside, giving rise to
phloroglucin. In 1929, Casparis found that the drug contained kolacatechin (C20H20H83H20) and free caffeine
the kolacatechin being mainly oxidised to kola red. Kolatine was not found in the fresh nuts but caffeinekolacatechin
(C28H30N4O10) was said to be present. (2, 7, 8, 10, 15, 23, 24, 27).
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