The object of chemical extraction is to separate the psychoactive alkaloids from
the plant material. This is done by first simmering the crushed plant in an
acidified water bath, which converts the alkaloids into their salt form. After
filtration, the plant pulp may be discarded. To extract the alkaloids from the
water, the remaining liquid is made basic and an organic solvent is added. The
alkaloids will migrate into this solvent, which can then be drawn off and poured
into a shallow dish.
The solvent will quickly evaporate, leaving behind the alkaloids in pure
crystalline form (you should be so lucky!), or more commonly, as a relatively
impure gummy compound.
1.
If we wish to extract the alkaloids present in Phalaris arundinacea, for
example, we would first pulverize the grass clippings as much as possible. One
technique that helps to rupture the cellular structure of any plant material is to
put it in the freezer overnight, remove it the next day, thaw it, put it in the
freezer again, then remove and thaw it again. After two or three such cycles it
will usually be pretty mushy and easily minced in a blender. In the case of
Phalaris grass, which is limber and difficult to pulverize, it should be placed in
the blender while still frozen stiff, so that the blender blades can more easily
chop it up.
2. To the resulting mash we add enough water to make a pourable soup.
3.
Next we add an acid - not too much (later on we'll turn the solution
basic, so there's no advantage in taking the pH level too low) - but just enough
to bring the pH down to about 5. There are many kinds of easily obtainable acids.
White vinegar, lemon juice, or the acid used by photographers for their stop bath
solutions are all forms of acetic acid. The latter can be purchased at any
photography store, though it is far more expensive than the distilled white
vinegar sold in supermarkets. The more potent sulfuric and hydrochloric acids are
extremely corrosive liquids, and should be either avoided or handled with great
care.
The pH is checked with a special pH paper usually available in
drug stores. It turns various colors depending upon the pH of the substance it is
dipped in. This color is then matched to a reference chart on the container to
determine the exact numerical pH value of the substance being tested. The acid
reacts with the alkaloids in the plant material and converts them into a salt. A
good way to facilitate this reaction is to simmer the acidified soup in a slow
cooker overnight; leave the lid on, as we don't want any liquid to evaporate. It
may take two or three such operations to get all of the alkaloids into solution.
4.
Next, we strain the plant matter first through cheesecloth, then through
a paper coffee filter. The bulk roughage may now be discarded because the
alkaloids we seek have migrated into the aqueous solution.
5.
At this point, we add a small percentage (10 or 15%) of a defatting
solvent such as methylene chloride, ether, chloroform, or naphtha. Naphtha is
easily available in the form of Coleman fuel or lighter fluid. The objective here
is to remove oils and fats which are also in the solution - they will migrate into
the solvent. Shake up the mixture and put it aside long enough to separate into
two layers, one aqueous, the other solvent. If you've ever made vinegar and oil
salad dressing, you've already observed the principle involved.
6.
While not absolutely~essential, a separatory funnel is very useful for
this operation. This is a simple laboratory apparatus consisting of a tapered
glass or plastic container with a tap at the bottom and a stoppered opening at the
top. The two liquids are poured in the top (the bottom faucet is closed, of
course); the container is corked and shaken vigorously to mix its contents. It is
then set aside until the fluids separate into two distinct layers. After shaking
and separating a few more times, the tap is opened to allow the lower stratum to
drain into a container. Just before the descending upper fraction reaches the
faucet, it is closed off. One has now reseparated the two original liquids, but
they have been mixed for a while, and the substances we seek to exclude (in this
case, the fats and oils) have migrated to the solvent layer. Depending on the
solvent, this may be above or below the aqueous stratum - ether will go to the
top, for example, while methyline chloride sinks to the bottom.
If you do not have a separatory funnel, the fractions can also be
divided by carefully siphoning off either layer [try a turkey baster]. In this
instance, we now discard the solvent (along with the unwanted oils and fats) and
turn our attention to the remaining aqueous solution which contains the alkaloids.
7.
The next step is to add a base to our solution. One often used in
extraction formulas is ammonium hydroxide, a liquid. If this is unobtainable you
can substitute regular household lye crystals (sold as drain cleaner) dissolved in
water to a high concentration. (Lye is a dangerous chemical. Read and follow all
of the instructions on the can.) This fluid is added in small increments to the
aqueous solution, shaking the mixture each time, then testing it until eventually
the pH reaches 9 or 10. Be patient. It usually takes many careful applications
before the pH is where you want it. If you're in too much of a hurry, it is easy
to make the solution far more alkaline than necessary.
Chemically, adding a base to the solution has the effect of
"unhooking" the salt and transforming the alkaloids into their "free base" form.
They are now no longer a salt, and hence no longer soluble in water, thus making
them accessible to extraction by one of the organic solvents mentioned above. Most
of these chemicals are not particularly easy to obtain, but ether is readily
available in cans of engine starting fluid, sold in auto supply stores. (To get
liquid ether out of an aerosol starting fluid can, spray it down a ten or twelve-
inch length of three-quarter-inch PVC pipe into a jar; the ether condenses on the
sides of the pipe and drips into the jar, while the inert propellant dissipates
into the atmosphere. Obviously, you don't do this in an enclosed area or anywhere
near flame or sparks.) Immediately put a lid on the jar to prevent undue
evaporation of the liquid ether.
8.
A ratio of 10 percent of the aqueous solution should be enough solvent
for each extraction. The easiest way to estimate this is to visualize where the
10% line is on your container of aqueous solution, then add that amount of solvent
to the whole, increasing the volume to 110%. (A super accurate measurement is not
necessary.) The container (if you don't have a separatory funnel, a large Mason
jar works well) must be kept tightly closed so that the solvent won't evaporate
from the solution.
9.
Four extractions are made to ensure that all of the alkaloids are
removed. These are done at one 24-hour, and then at three weekly intervals. The
solvent layer will soon take on a darker tint, usually yellowish or reddish-brown.
This indicates the presence of alkaloids as they slowly move out of the aqueous
solution. It will take almost a month to get most of them, and the mixture should
be shaken at least twice a day to ensure that all of the alkaloid molecules come
into contact with the solvent. At each weekly extraction carefully separate this
from the aqueous solution by either of the methods mentioned above. Save these
solvent fractions and combine them in one container. Each time add fresh solvent
to the aqueous solution until the extraction series is complete.
10.
The last step is to pour the combined solvent fractions into a shallow
baking dish or pan and allow it all to evaporate in an open space free from flame
or sparks. The residue remaining after evaporation contains the alkaloids, and may
be put into gelatin capsules. If it is unduly gummy, one may add small amounts of
ordinary flour to the gum until it thickens enough to handle easily.
It is important to remember that all of the plant alkaloids will
be removed, not just the psychoactive ones we are looking for. These may include
some toxic compounds, and one should always have a good idea of what a plant
contains and in what percentages before ingesting any extraction taken from it.
Arundo donax for example, while containing DMT, also contains several other
alkaloids which caused an allergic reaction in me when I ingested its extract.
These unwanted compounds can be removed, but the process requires more knowledge
of chemistry than I've learned to date.
Remember to not smoke more than 25 mg your first time. You can gradually raise
the dose over time as you become more experienced.
