Extracting Harmine and Harmaline from Peganum Harmala (Syrian Rue seeds)

Vid Link  Before asking a question, please read the FAQ

Details on harmala interactions (safety): https://bit.ly/3mHzc6f

Food interactions: https://bit.ly/3jM9Sdw

I don't know if anyone will be able to tell, but producing this video was brutal.  I spent far more time on this one than any previous video I've done.  As I had mentioned previously, there really weren't any high quality videos on YouTube showing the complete harmala extraction process, so even if this is a somewhat obscure subject, I felt it was important to cover.  This also "closes the loop" so to speak on documenting the complete end to end process of making  ayahuasca analogs (pharmahuasca & pharmachanga) using purified plant extracts pulled directly from bark and seed.  Harmalas are still completely legal in almost all countries including the United States, but these three countries have outlawed harmalas: France, Australia, and Canada.  Hopefully they don't become restricted in other countries but at least now you will know how to extract them from seeds.

IMPORTANT UPDATES:  (1) I'm told a better and faster way to do the initial raw alkaloid extract is to NOT grind the seeds, it does not help and makes filtering more difficult. Instead put the seeds into a sock or cotton t-shirt tied "sack" (like a giant tea bag) and pressure cook with 1-2 liters water and a cup of vinegar for 1.5 hours at 15 PSI, then squeeze out the rue sack at the end until dry, repeat one more time and you are done, this allegedly gets most of the raw alkaloids out, no need to go after the remainder.  Do not fill your pressure cooker more than half way with water.  After that you can skip half the video and go right to 22:47.  That said when I tested this method I felt like yields were lower so I'm not completely convinced yet however yields can vary from batch to batch and I trust the person who gave this tip and they claim they proved most of the alkaloids were extracted by further attempting to process the seeds after the two water extractions and there was very little remaining.

(2) A potentially superior extraction method using microwaves has been published that I am VERY interested to test, see: Microwave-assisted extraction of three bioactive alkaloids from Peganum harmala L. and their acaricidal activity against Psoroptes cuniculi in vitro Using much shorter times, the microwave extraction was shown to be superior to ultrasonic extraction and heat reflux extraction.  Interestingly heat reflux extracted more initial total material but LESS harmine and harmaline and the much faster microwave method.

(3) Hossein from Iran sent this tip: After the initial salt crystallization (manske), you can purify your harmalas by first putting them in a coffee filter (42:39 or 45:17 in the video depending on if you want to wait for proper harmine/harmaline crystal formation first which may increase purity) and pouring 120ml of hot water over the crystals with a large irrigation syringe.  A lot of the dark impurities will stick to the filter paper.  Then after basing, you can recrystallize the freebase harmalas using ethanol (a very nice video showing essentially what you should do is here). This results in very pure harmalas without the need to repeat the salt crystallization as done in my video.  Heptane reportedly also works for the recrystallization but food grade ethanol will ensure highest purity of your product.  The basing is shown in the vid at 47:35 so do that and take the precipitate and recrystalize with ethanol (but again my disclaimer is that I've never done it this way, people send me tips and I can't test them all out, but this person seemed to be very knowledgeable and Iran is well known for syrian rue and harmalas. It would not surprise me to learn there are better faster ways of doing this extraction).

IF you want to skip most of the work you can simply buy a raw extract, its a much faster and easier process if you do it that way, and the raw extract is not very expensive, so I think its a good option, then you can skip right to 40:25.  OR you can just buy the finished purified product as well (I know that seller, quality product at reasonable price, great reviews).

I show how to convert the harmaline into THH in this video.

Timecodes

0:00 Intro

1:50 Background on Peganum Harmala

3:00 Review of modern research on harmine

5:05 What’s wrong with rue tea?

7:50 Dr. Van Der Sypt’s paper on harmala extraction

9:10 Things you will need for the extract

12:18 How to build a magnetic stirrer

13:37 How to make a vacuum filtration system

16:36 EXTRACT BEGINS: Ground seed acid boil 6x

30:10 First basing

40:25 Salt crystallization 5x

48:02 Final basing

49:58 Ammonia wash removes salt

52:08 Storage

52:24 Dosage Guidelines

53:23 Dangerous Interactions

Note: It is important to use pure ammonia, many brands contain soap or other impurities, one test you can do is pour some into a sealed glass jar and shake, if you see suds/bubbles that do not quickly dissipate - avoid that brand.

Things I used for the extract: [Note: If you use any of my Amazon links it supports the channel!  (“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”)]

Syrian Rue Seeds: https://www.white-buffalo-trading.com/store/p60/Wild_Syrian_Rue_seeds%2C_Peganum_harmala%2C_Esphand%2C_5_sizes.html

Metal strainers: https://amzn.to/2RvPLGx

Thin Airline tubing: https://amzn.to/2C3Bebg

1" tubing: https://amzn.to/2VxSf6z

5/16" tubing: https://amzn.to/2AzU7CL

Cotton Balls: https://amzn.to/2SF5jFg

Cotton Rounds: https://amzn.to/2C5Sfl0

1/2 gallon size mason jars: https://amzn.to/2LUCFx8

Gallon size glass jar with metal lid: https://amzn.to/2RwiR8Q

16oz wide mouth jars: https://amzn.to/2SDLz4Z

Spade Drill Bits: https://amzn.to/2VzCmfY

Drill: https://amzn.to/2R8W57z

Shop Vac: https://amzn.to/2SEHcqn

Small insulated cooler: https://amzn.to/2CTMoB5

8" large plastic funnel with strainer insert: https://amzn.to/2RDBzeQ

Smaller stainless steel funnel with strainer: https://amzn.to/2VxCkVO

Ammonia: https://amzn.to/2Rep7Tl

Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda): https://amzn.to/2GYqC3n

Stainless Steel cooking pot: https://amzn.to/2GUPSr7

Digital pH meter: https://amzn.to/2G4ZYTX

Coffee filters: https://amzn.to/2GY7iTP

Salt with no additives or iodine: https://amzn.to/2LV6Y6R

White Vinegar: https://amzn.to/2LQHfN9

Nitrile gloves: https://amzn.to/2Vwn77c

Cheesecloth: https://amzn.to/2AwWZjX

Microwave Oven: https://amzn.to/2M0zy7f

Stainless Steel Mixing Spoons: https://amzn.to/2RB22tc

Irrigation Syringe: https://amzn.to/2RGfbS0

Glass Measuring Cup: https://amzn.to/3pP0ael

Magnetic Stirrer: https://amzn.to/2CSWGS0

For proper and safe dosing get a gem scale: https://amzn.to/332gHRZ

Milligram measuring spoons: https://amzn.to/2Vul4ka

References:

Wiki article on Peganum Harmala: https://bit.ly/34IfUYD

A harm-reduction approach to the isolation of harmine and its hydrogenated derivatives from Peganum Harmala seed in low-tech settings

Frederick A.P. Van Der Sypt, M.D.

https://bit.ly/3oKA384

“DaBuzz” written out version of the harmala extraction TEK, step by step guide:

https://bit.ly/3mCQS2X

Alternate simple way to build a magnetic stirrer if you don’t want to buy one:

https://youtu.be/XbvSdN70hb0

(Note: many scrap electronics have small fans in them that can be used, unused humidifiers and little desk fans can also be repurposed).

Citations: https://bit.ly/3jgmUA2

Music: Spacefish - Warm Streams

Here is some additional reading that further elucidates (albeit only via anecdote) the experiential difference between taking syrian rue tea vs. purified extract: https://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=70617

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Links to all of my TEKs, Videos, Trip music, and frequently asked questions with answers can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/22774475 (everything is made available for FREE, I do not use pay walls, support the work only if you feel like you've benefited from it and you are able to do so).