How to: test plant material

[mr.smiley]

The topic explains it...but in depth i am wondering if theres a way/ways to test plant material for special properties without some kind of bioassay or performing a full extraction wasting costly substances.

Besides of course sending it to a lab to be tested as not everyone is that fortunite. Like somthing along the lines of juicing the material then adding some kind of reactant and observing under uv light? Just spit balling here...

 

[Earthwalker]

The topic explains it...but in depth i am wondering if theres a way/ways to test plant material for special properties without some kind of bioassay or performing a full extraction wasting costly substances.

Besides of course sending it to a lab to be tested as not everyone is that fortunite. Like somthing along the lines of juicing the material then adding some kind of reactant and observing under uv light? Just spit balling here...

Burn test maybe !!

 

[--Shadow]

Ehrlich's reagent

 

[Entheogenerator]

Thin-layer chromatography would probably be the most accurate and thorough method, which is also feasible for the "average joe", for analyzing the chemical makeup of plant material. From my understanding, reagents don't work very well for most plant sources.

 

[endlessness]

For now: Get ehrlich reagent. Get small amount of plant material, soak in alcohol, filter and evaporate alcohol, drop ehrlich and watch for color change. If there are indole-based substances (like dmt), it turns purple. Check my signature links for more info.

In the next couple of months there should be some Thin Layer Chromatography kits available to properly test your substances/plants in a more accurate way than simple reagents. I will keep you all informed

 

[mr.smiley]

Thanks for the help everyone.
What kind of alcohol? Like everclear? Or any really high proff alc? And one last question, how long of a soak would be recomended?