I made an extract from 14 grams of dried betel nut, which resulted is a pretty pure looking soft, red block. Now, I was wondering if there is a way to further purify this. I did the first extraction by letting nearly powdered betel nuts soak in a container of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Is there a solvent, maybe acetone or something, that will leave behind plant waxes and such that dissolved in the alcohol without losing the main alkaloids (arecoline, Arecaidine, Guvacine). And would the yield be worth the process? The basic question is it possible and worth it with kitchen chemistry to to turn a crude extract (not very resinous) into a full spectrum isolate? I'm not talking pure crystals, but something worth vaporizing/smoking.
Misc Firther isolation of betel alkaloids
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alexvolume2
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I recently obtained some betel nut from an asian grocer. Could you elaborate on the steps of your tek? I've been interested in betel for a few years and finally found some. It tastes awful though!~
Hiltoniano
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Well I can't help you but that sure a shit looks cool. Like red crystals... Looks somewhat purified at least.
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try it!
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but it also functions as an agonist at the nicotinic acetylcholline receptor
BlueHues
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I've seen betel palms in Hawaii, I didn't know what they were at the time....From everything I found out since, it's sounds almost similar to chewing tobacco, I don't see the point in trying to further purify and smoke it, it might just make you sick....it's similar to nicotine and addictive...
I'd like to try chewing just to see what it was like one time...
I'd like to try chewing just to see what it was like one time...
Captain.Heroin
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I have, it's something that was taught to us during my pharmacology/toxicology class in college.
Guvacine is a pyridine alkaloid found in the Areca nut (also known as the Betel nut). It is an experimental drug with no approved indication. Experimental studies are still being investigated to determine all of the physiological effects and mechanisms of action of guvacine. Currently it has been determined that guvacine is a specific GABA reuptake inhibitor with no significant affinity at GABA receptors.
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Nicotine Tob Res. 2017 Oct 3. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntx187. [Epub ahead of print]
Cracking the Betel Nut: Cholinergic Activity of Areca Alkaloids and Related Compounds.
Horenstein NA1, Quadri M1,2, Stokes C2, Shoaib M3, Papke RL2.
Author information
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The use of betel quid is the most understudied major addiction in the world. The neuropsychological activity of betel quid has been attributed to alkaloids of Areca catechu. With the goal of developing novel addiction treatments, we evaluate the muscarinic and nicotinic activity of the four major Areca alkaloids: arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline, and guvacine and four structurally related compounds.
METHODS:
Acetylcholine receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and studied with two-electrode voltage clamp.
RESULTS:
Both arecoline- and guvacoline-activated muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), while only arecoline produced significant activation of nicotinic AChR (nAChR). We characterized four additional arecoline-related compounds, seeking an analog that would retain selective activity for a α4* nAChR, with diminished effects on mAChR and not be a desensitizer of α7 nAChR. We show that this profile is largely met by isoarecolone. Three additional arecoline analogs were characterized. While the quaternary dimethyl analog had a broad range of activities, including activation of mAChR and muscle-type nAChR, the methyl analog only activated a range of α4* nAChR, albeit with low potency. The ethyl analog had no detectable cholinergic activity.
CONCLUSIONS:
Evidence indicates that α4* nAChR are at the root of nicotine addiction, and this may also be the case for betel addiction. Our characterization of isoarecolone and 1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) ethanone as truly selective α4*nAChR selective partial agonists with low muscarinic activity may point toward a promising new direction for the development of drugs to treat both nicotine and betel addiction.
IMPLICATIONS:
Nearly 600 million people use Areca nut, often with tobacco. Two of the Areca alkaloids are muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonists, and one, arecoline, is a partial agonist for the α4* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) associated with tobacco addiction. The profile of arecoline activity suggested its potential to be used as a scaffold for developing new tobacco cessation drugs if analogs can be identified that retain the same nicotinic receptor selectivity without muscarinic activity. We report that isoarecolone is a selective partial agonist for α4* nAChR with minimal muscarinic activity and 1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) ethanone has similar nAChR selectivity and no detectable muscarinic action.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29059390
Cracking the Betel Nut: Cholinergic Activity of Areca Alkaloids and Related Compounds.
Horenstein NA1, Quadri M1,2, Stokes C2, Shoaib M3, Papke RL2.
Author information
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The use of betel quid is the most understudied major addiction in the world. The neuropsychological activity of betel quid has been attributed to alkaloids of Areca catechu. With the goal of developing novel addiction treatments, we evaluate the muscarinic and nicotinic activity of the four major Areca alkaloids: arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline, and guvacine and four structurally related compounds.
METHODS:
Acetylcholine receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and studied with two-electrode voltage clamp.
RESULTS:
Both arecoline- and guvacoline-activated muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), while only arecoline produced significant activation of nicotinic AChR (nAChR). We characterized four additional arecoline-related compounds, seeking an analog that would retain selective activity for a α4* nAChR, with diminished effects on mAChR and not be a desensitizer of α7 nAChR. We show that this profile is largely met by isoarecolone. Three additional arecoline analogs were characterized. While the quaternary dimethyl analog had a broad range of activities, including activation of mAChR and muscle-type nAChR, the methyl analog only activated a range of α4* nAChR, albeit with low potency. The ethyl analog had no detectable cholinergic activity.
CONCLUSIONS:
Evidence indicates that α4* nAChR are at the root of nicotine addiction, and this may also be the case for betel addiction. Our characterization of isoarecolone and 1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) ethanone as truly selective α4*nAChR selective partial agonists with low muscarinic activity may point toward a promising new direction for the development of drugs to treat both nicotine and betel addiction.
IMPLICATIONS:
Nearly 600 million people use Areca nut, often with tobacco. Two of the Areca alkaloids are muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonists, and one, arecoline, is a partial agonist for the α4* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) associated with tobacco addiction. The profile of arecoline activity suggested its potential to be used as a scaffold for developing new tobacco cessation drugs if analogs can be identified that retain the same nicotinic receptor selectivity without muscarinic activity. We report that isoarecolone is a selective partial agonist for α4* nAChR with minimal muscarinic activity and 1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) ethanone has similar nAChR selectivity and no detectable muscarinic action.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29059390
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