Ah Phlux, if only we could work in a fully equiped lab together 8) .Others are welcome too!
The experiment is sound,you even got your controls there to compare, and you have seperated the two to see if redening is specific to one of the two.Should this fail, a mixture of harmaline-harmine could be used, the logic behind it being some interaction between the two ( i doubt it ,but for sake of experimentation i document my thought).I am of the mentality of thoughts being documented for the next one who comes along.
Also,if possible try one variation at a time ,for example use equal amounts of solvents for each ,equal concentrations.
Some considerations, food for thought:
1)Is redening mentioned with every alcohol? If yes, any alcohol could do, if its specific to ethanol then ethanol should be preffered. From what it seems the reddening is NOT specific, in other words its not a reaction that is done only with alcohol given that the color change has been observed with other solvents such as limonene -dont quote me on this, i also hear acetone could have the same effect-.
2)If we suppose its an oxidation product, should a side experiment with H2O2 be run which is known to be a good oxidant.H2O2 sounds also like a good,straightforward candidate and if harmalas are so sensitive to oxidation ,hydrogen peroxide should make short work of them and give us nice red color,propably in bigger amounts than only alcohol. This is just a hypothesis.
3)Should heat factor be implemented, that is have the samples heated? It could speed up things although it could be introducing another variable.
4)How about timing? I mean how long do you think it would be advisable to let them sit into solution? I dont know how quickly the hypothesised reaction occurs.
5)Given that any experiment gives harmala red,would it be wise to consider a bioassay? Here other variables come to play ,for example the starting material to be converted would have to be a dosage of known effects to the experimenter so as to note if any new effects are present or if other effects are absent.
The above are not "disagreements", they are merery further mental stimulation. So far i find the experiment proposed by Phlux rather interesting and a very good start!!!
Crystalito approves!