How to test plant matter?

[mr.smiley]

Lets say you have 100mg of Lespedeza bicolor seeds, could you test this by soaking the ground material in 100ml of methanol food grade for a few days, and after evaporating the alcohol use the ehrlich test. Or would you need to treat it with a base first?

I was unable to find much on the proper testing of material before doing an actual extraction.
I just don't want to waste any materials.

 

[benzyme]

there's food-grade methanol? :?

grind, soak, filter, add a spot of liquid to paper, and add 1-3 drops ehrlich's to test for indolealkylamines .

 

[frobot]

I am also wondering this. I have had different results using ehrlich's on a substance in its salted form vs its freebase form and wasn't sure if that was normal or not or which one is most accurate.

 

[endlessness]

can you describe further what is it that resulted differently?

Also, IME ehrlich seems to be one of the reagents that degrades reasonably fast for some reason, so it's good to have it as fresh as possible.

I have tested 5-MeO-DMT HCl and freebase and both turned purpleish, with slight differences but still clearly purple.

 

[frobot]

I was testing LSA freebase vs LSA tartrate. The freebase turns purple but the tartrate turned red.
And I ran the same test again with the same results. I really expect both to turn purple though.
Maybe the sample I used was too impure and had more salt than LSA in it.
But on the package it says that it is a test for "LSD and other indoles" and it should turn red if it passes. Other sources I have seen say LSD turns purple.
Not sure what to make of this. It's an "eztest" if that helps any.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

I took a quick look at the wiki here.

I don't know if it's just that my browser needs updating but the page is displaying code (e.g. "[ b]whatever[ /b]" instead of the intended results of the code and is consequently hard to read. This was one of your pages, endlessness - thanks for the effort.

Am I correct in thinking I'll need a separate account to edit the wiki?

I'd like to add some info on how/what the colorimetric test reagents are made of.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

frobot: sounds like the tartrate ion influences the result; it's favoured in part for its antioxidant properties when forming salts with ergolines - this property may well affect the colour change outcome.

P.S. standard 'E-Z test' is usually Marquis' reagent.

 

[endlessness]

downwardsfromzero yeah thanks, this was the thread:

Colorimetric test results (Marquis, Mecke, Ehrlich, etc) for different alkaloids - Plant Analysis and Substance Testing - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

I think the problem there is that wiki code is different than the forum code, so someone tried copy pasting the code and didnt work. I think the wiki account is different than the forum one but I think anyone can register and edit. Otherwise you can post in the thread and later we add to the wiki.

frobot, I've never tested LSA so can't help you there. If you convert the tartrate back to freebase does it test purple again? What about looking into doing a TLC with your product?

 

[mr.smiley]

Thanks Benzyme, Ill do the grind and soak.
Is there a minimum amount of time I have to let it sit or just wing it with a few days?
And I wasn't sure what to call relatively pure methanol so I went with food grade. I know its wrong but I just couldn't think of what to call it and I was exhausted from a long day anda longer week.

 

[benzyme]

understandable

soaks do not need to be long, a few minutes. analytical tests are rather sensitive

 

[frobot]

I double checked the test kit and they say it is ehrlich's and it says it should turn red for LSD which is odd. The test has some little ball you put in it that they say is a catalyst for the reaction but I don't feel like that would cause the color to be different.

If you convert the tartrate back to freebase does it test purple again?

That's probably my best bet on seeing if it's just the tartaric acid but I haven't tried this.