nen888 wrote:the Simple PHYLLODE TEK
this is presented in the interests of sustainability (because of the damage done to trees for their bark), and for those who are growing acacias and want them to live long and happy lives..
essentially, a few reported findings of low percentages of alkaloids in phyllodes in the past (by Mulga and others) and phyllode extraction failures are probably due to failure on Step 1 of this procedure
1. Thoroughly DRY the phyllodes, by sun. fan or oven. What will interfere with extraction is chlorophyll and volatile fatty acids.
2. Chop or grind by hand, blender etc.
3. Cover in mixture 50/50 distilled water and white vinegar, and boil vigorously for 30-40 minutes. Save liquid and repeat this another 2-3 times. Combine the 3-4 liquid fractions, filter judiciously, reduce volume by boiling till slightly thick, leave to sit overnight.
4. Very gradually add NaOH. The solution will first become cloudy, then dark again. Do not go far beyond this point. In other words, do not overbasify. The pH should be between 11-12.5 ideally, if a pH meter is available. Also add a small amount of fairly pure sodium chloride (salt). Allow to cool.
5. Add an equal volume of clean (100%) non-polar solvent (naptha, limonine etc) and shake vigorously for several minutes. Allow to settle into two layers, sometimes a few hours. If does not properly separate add small amounts of NaOH to break emulsion. Separate solvent and wash by adding salty water/NaOH. Separate again, and evaporate solvent. And then be very patient. A few days if necessary. Resulting solid, wax or oil is the crude alkaloids, usable.
and that’s all that’s required, it need not be any more complicated than this..do not substitute other acids or bases unless you are well experienced in extraction, and willing to experiment..just pay attention the whole time
if someone can’t follow this procedure, they should not be doing extractions..
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Acacias can respond well to careful and sensitive pruning, so the gardner can enjoy their long grown trees, and their inner joy.
I cringe everytime I see one of those 'I found an acacia tree' posts or threads... I was glad to see this post, there's so many horror stories of rare and protected species of Acacias being basically stripped of bark and left to die. It reminded me of what happened to Buffalo in the US in the late 1800's. They are beautiful trees, can be overwintered in a sunny window if you are outside of their habitat, and don't mind pruning at all in my experience. I don't have much to add to this thread, but wanted to bump that post in particular as it is indeed a great stride towards sustainability. Madenii and accuminata are the two most discussed phyllode sources, but I've heard of several others as well... would be great to see a list of Acacia spp. with active phyllodes only. I've also seen burkittii mentioned in this context, don't know about simplex but they taste bitter and the stems are supposed to be one of the most potent of the genus.
I also read that maidenii are frost tolerant... a plague on whoever put that on the internet, I lost three of them one year to an early frost I thought they would survive LOL
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