inertia
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 23-6-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Acid Base extraction of Harmaline
I've been trying to extract Harmaline from Peganum Harmala. Everything was going well and then - pink froth that won't separate.
I acidified a solution to PH 2, filtered out solids twice, removed plant fat with plenty of toluene, and when I added some basic water to precipitate
Harmaline, I got white crystals precipitating out. I could have probably vacuum filtered the solution to isolate the crystals (which I guess I'll do
next time), but instead I added some warm Naphtha and stirred, and got a pink foam. I figured it was just an emulsion, and let it sit, but now two
days later, the "emulsion" is no closer to anything else. I'm looking for a naphtha layer, but instead I have this foam. Is there any way to salvage
anything from it?
|
|
|
Metacelsus
International Hazard
Posts: 2539
Registered: 26-12-2012
Location: Boston, MA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Double, double, toil and trouble
|
|
Could you centrifuge it?
|
|
|
forgottenpassword
Hazard to Others
Posts: 374
Registered: 12-12-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You could reacidify, heat to boil off the naphtha, then basify and collect the crystals that you mentioned.
|
|
|
inertia
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 23-6-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I wish. It looks like I'll just have to start anew.
|
|
|
careysub
International Hazard
Posts: 1339
Registered: 4-8-2014
Location: Coastal Sage Scrub Biome
Member Is Offline
Mood: Lowest quantum state
|
|
Try adding diatomaceous earth, then filter.
Did you grind the seeds or were you doing extraction on the whole seed?
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
