Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: joesmoe on 29/09/2013 03:18:18
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What's the easiest way to extract hyoscyamine from tomato plants?
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Except possibly for wild varieties, I would not expect to find usefully high concentrations of any tropane alkaloids in tomato. Jimsonweed (Datura stromonium) is closely related to the tomato and produces significant quantities of both hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Interestingly, if you graft a tomato plant onto datura root stock, the resulting plant contains both tropane alkaloids in high concentrations. (Formation and Transport of Alkaloids in Solanaceous Grafts, P. M. Warren Wilson, New Phytologist Vol. 51, No. 3 (Nov., 1952), pp. 301-316)
If you wish to extract and purify the alkaloids you will need to know their pKa's and something about the separation techniques in extraction.
CAUTION: These alkaloids are highly toxic. Yes, there is a does that will make you trip without killing you, but there are unavoidable severe side effects that are sufficiently dangerous and unpleasant that I would not recommend it to even the most seasoned "psychonaut." The drug causes delirium and true hallucinations (indistinguishable from reality) that lasts for days. I know a few people who have tried (independently) it and all of them ended up in the hospital for one reason or another within the first or second day. Don't go there. The story of the name jimsonweed tells all. Look it up.
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Absolutely noted on the danger aspect. I take hyoscyamine medicinally and know how serious caution is not to be shrugged. in fact, you have to know many aspects of botany and other sciences to properly produce consistant ratios and still- dosing must begin after spectral chromatograhic analysis of samples. the separation methods can vary and affect end results several ways.Particulary similar methods can be applied to other plants for other treatments. tomatos may ultimately yield more anti-biotic properties found specifically in trichomes.