doping cacti?

[nemesys]

I've just been tending to my peruvian torch Trevor (his head that I removed in midwinter has just started to root :D), and was wondering if anyone knows if you can dope psychoactive cacti (perhaps with PEA?) in much the same way that can be done with psylocibin mushrooms? does anyone have any experience with doing either?

 

[Delsyd]

As The Bulbous One mentioned in another thread:

As to the cactii question, the only info I've found is that adding (injecting intoi the cactus) L-DOPA increases the yield of mescaline & other PEA alkaloids (can't remember which species of cactus, but if it's peyote you'd expect an increase in the amount of isoquinolines as well), but to get variants on mescaline, you'd need to know the full biosynthesis of mescaline so that you'd add the correct substrate - you'd also have to hope that the enzymes involved weren't fussy about their substrate, like tryptamine 4-hydroxylase seems to be.

If the enzymes were nonspecific regarding substrate, the possibilities are endless (a big one being that a blood pressure medication, alphamethylDOPA, could be used to get a cactus to produce TMA-1)

 

[Solipsis]

Haha I just merged a beautiful thread together about cultivation and potentiation regarding mushrooms this christmas but this is like the cactus equivalent... LOL

fine, ensynchronicity+1

 

[5 MeO DMT]

i know that keeping it out of direct sunlight for an extended period of time will increase mescaline content. The darker green it is, generally, the more potent.

 

[fastandbulbous]

^ Is that personal experience or a noted way of increasing mescaline content as all I could be certain of is that it'll increase the amount of chlorophyll in the photosynthetc layer?

 

[Solipsis]

Let's see, I have a san pedro that apparently rot and I have a Peruvianus but its a Monstrosus mutant so I don't think I will be harvesting him any time soon especially when
he looks like a freak. Then there's this:

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the highest concentrations of active substances are found in the layer of green photosynthetic tissue just beneath the skin.[2] The darker green the cactus, the higher the alkaloid content, which can be caused by "stressing it" with reduced sunlight indoors or in shade, leaving a cut section indoors for 6+ weeks, water starving, and injecting the plant with dopamine or a mixture of tyrosine and levodopa.[citation needed]

Increasing The Alkaloid Concentrations
There are several different methods of increasing the concentrations of alkaloids in most if not all species of cactus. One of the main defenses of cacti is to increase the production of protective alkaloids in response to numerous external stresses.

The growing cactus plant can be "stressed" in a number of ways to help increase the concentration of alkaloids prior to harvest. It should be noted that, since cacti have a slow metabolism, it may take an entire growing season of stress to significantly affect alkaloid levels.

Here are some of the most common and widely tested methods:

Shade: There have been several reports that leaving live (or cut Trichocereus) in the shade for several months prior to harvesting to increase the percentage of alkaloids in the tissues of the plant. It is also common in Mexico and South America to leave cut cacti in large covered stacks for some time prior to being sold. There may be a good reason for that practice.

Excess Sun and Heat: Too much Sun or heat will most definitely stress a live cactus. It must be realized however, that increasing the alkaloids through stressing will greatly affect the plants growth rate, and might just kill it. Cactus can and do get sunburned, which can be fatal.

Nutrient level variations: Different formulas of fertilizers will affect the growth rate, and therefore the alkaloid mix and percentages. Very high nitrogen levels in the soil would help to draw water out of the cactus, and promote stress. Use caution as too much nitrogen will burn your plant. Remember though, a fast growing cactus is also lower in alkaloids per volume.

Mechanical stress: A much ignored method of significantly increasing alkaloid buildup. The cactus is cut or gouged in several places to simulate predator damage. The stem can also be girdled by wire, twisted or bent.

Care should be taken when penetrating the skin, use sterile techniques to minimize the chance of infection. Although infection would be a major stress on the plant, it would probably die before any useful effects were manifested. Stressing has been practiced on marijuana for millennia in certain parts of the world, to increase potency.

Watering stress: Depriving the intended victim of water is the most widespread method of trying to increase the alkaloid content. Many people advise to buy your cactus at least one growing season in advance, and then let them sit, without water, until they are ready to harvest.

Chemical doping: There has been some pioneering work in this area done by Adam Gottlieb.

Increasing the levels of the precursors that lead to mescaline has proven to be a relatively quick and effective way to significantly increase the level of mescaline in a cactus.

There are three major precursors to mescaline, namely dopa, tyramine, and dopamine. During mescaline synthesis in the plant, tyrosine is broken down into tyramine and dopa. These then combine to form dopamine, which is later converted to nor-mescaline, and of course mescaline.

It is possible to take advantage of this synthesis route, and use it to vastly increase the mescaline content of the cactus that will be harvested.

This method can be used successfully on any mescaline bearing cacti. The steps are as follows:

1. Withhold water from the plant 2 weeks prior to doping. This helps the plant to absorb any injected material more readily.

2. Prepare a saturated solution of free-base dopamine in a .05 N solution of HCL. If dopamine is not available a second best alternative is to use a mixture of tyramine and dopa.

3. Inject approximately 5cc of the solution, half towards the bottom of the plant by the roots. Inject the other half into the green tissue at the base of the plant, and in several other spots up the stem. Do this slowly, carefully leaving the needle in place for a few seconds to allow absorption.

4. Wait 4 to 8 weeks before harvest to let the additives metabolize and convert to mescaline. I would not stress the plant during this period, as an actively growing plant is necessary for efficient metabolism.

5. The harvest can be delayed further and a series of booster injections can be given every 6 - 8 weeks to bolster alkaloid levels even more.

{ Unfortunately many of these precursor compounds are hard to come by or controlled. }

I'll be looking out for more, see what I can find from Adam Gottlieb and making Main threads n shit when they are justified.

 

[fastandbulbous]

I'll be looking out for more, see what I can find from Adam Gottlieb

The man responsible for 'Legal Highs'? There's a load of incorrect info and frankly bullshit written in that book - I'd wan't more than his sayso before following anything he's written

 

[Solipsis]

I see his other work is not so revered as well, guess that leaves us with little as he was told to 'pioneer in cactus doping'.

Quite frankly I'd be suprised if there has been a well-defined scientific study on this and the difference it can make. Shulgin must be loads better what with the simple plant isoquinolines,
but never actually heard him dope his specimens and analyze the result...
A bioassay isn't gonna do us any good... youd need tests

 

[tBirdee]

I've just been tending to my peruvian torch Trevor .....................

Hey, who you callen a cactus?