A zinc reduction on a full spectrum rue extract is a bad idea, here's why:
Yes, harmine subjected to hydrogen gas is nasty stuff, don't recommend, nasal drainage, nausea, it stinks indefinitely either when left out or sealed in a jar for months, I've stored it and smelled it again months later, never to use again, threw it away, and only subjected harmine twice to the hydrogen gas, in order to see what happens, as an experiment.
The harmine not only turns from it's normal dark brown color to a light tan color, all indicators of a transformed harmine with unusual undesirable symptoms. Thanks for linking that shadedself and comments by Jees.
I've made THH from harmaline for self use over a decade and used over 200 times, it's completely safe, pure white, zero odor, and as close to 100% pure as is possible, link here, post #12 with lots of pics and full instructions on how to separate the harmine from the harmaline, then reduce the harmaline to tetrahydroharmine in only 1.5 hour...
...p.s two people here have used this procedure to filter out the less than 0.5% remaining lingering zinc dust using a simple cotton ball stuffed into a clean automotive funnel, and I have recently verified this works just as well as using an expensive and powerful vacuum pump, this conversion using zinc dust is a very simple process...what is time consuming is the actual rue extract.
It's not a big deal if you have less than 5% of harmine mixed in with your harmaline, but being a chemist, I always make sure I have 100% harmaline to convert, this gives me the best THH possible, she is just as valuable as mescaline, can't live without her.
see post #12 for easy instructions with lots of pics:
Make sure your THH is pure and not contaminated with unconverted harmaline (which is a RIMA/maoi). Dab some THH on a wet vinegar soaked cue tip, rub on paper plate, hold under blacklight, if it glows blue you have THH, if any green glow, you have unconverted harmaline in it, keep in mind harmine also glows blue too though. Be-ware cheap China made THH as a handful of people have reported it glowing green and not blue, harmaline contamination, incomplete synthesis. I recommend making your own or quality sources.
Page 154 of "Various Alkaloid Profiles in Decoctions of Banisteriopsis Caapi, 2005":
The average ratio of THH to harmine in the vegetals (traditional brews) was consistently near 1:1, from all sources (table 2), while this ratio was closer to 1:5 in a large survey of source plant material. It is presently unclear whether harmaline is being chemically reduced to THH during the acidic process of decoction.
Dr. Callaway wrote in "The Entheogen Review":
However, in a broad (as yet unpublished) survey of Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis and subsequent teas, which included phytochemical analyses of all, plus subjective ratings of the teas, a strong correlation was found with teas that contained high amounts of THH and not DMT! This rating was from a large body of experienced users (regular União do Vegetal members who had consumed ayahuasca for 10+ years). In short, yes, there seems to be important activity from THH.
12 reasons why tetrahydroharmine (THH) is important on last post #417:
p.s. I don't recommend the extensive boiling of rue in pure ascorbic acid or vitamin C either, as it may take as long as a 12 hour reflux for any minor conversion of harmaline to THH to occur...unfortunately, vitamin C is a very mild reducing agent, just use zinc dust, it's all visual, converts any amount of harmaline to THH in 1.5 hour with visual indicators...you can see the micro hydrogen bubbles rise to the surface like Champagne and the harmaline dissolved in the vinegar turns from a beginning dark green color to it's ending golden transparent see thru color after the 1.5 hour spin, indicating it is done. No special precautions need be taken, I run this in a closed room, no fans, open the door 1.5 hour later, and it's done converting.
Note: THH is very stable, I've had 2 grams of THH stored in a closet in a container that is 7 years old, that still glows pale blue under UV light when dabbed with a cue tip wet in vinegar and smeared on a paper plate. It does not convert back to harmaline in my experience, extremely stable. So don't accept the excuse that "some of the China made THH is just converting back to harmaline", it simply doesn't happen...the newly created hydrogen bond on the beta-carboline does not disappear.
