Ephedrine extractabilities

The modern usage of P2" go Asts for the treatment of asthma dates to 1903 when the effect of injected epinephrine [51-43-4] (adrenaline) C2H23NO2, (1 R = CH3) was investigated (see Epinephrine and norepinephrine) (33). As in some other modem treatments, eg, xanthines and anticholinergics, the roots of P2" go Ast therapy for asthma can be found in historical records which document the use of herbal extracts containing ephedrine [299-42-3] C qH NO, (2) as bronchodilators. Epinephrine and ephedrine are stmcturaHy related to the catecholamine norepinephrine [51-41-2] CgH NO, (1, R = H), a neurotransmitter of the adrenergic nervous system (see Neuroregulators). 

To avoid the difficulty of variation in alkaloidal content liable to occur in commercial Ephedra a proposal.has been made in India for the manufacture of a standardised extract representing 5 per cent, of the weight of the crude drug and containing 18 to 20 per cent, of the total alkaloids. Both in India and China experimental extraction of ephedrine has been started. ... 

With potassium ferricyanide and sodium hydroxide solution ephedrine forms benzaldehyde. A solution of the hydrochloride gives with copper sulphate and sodium hydroxide solutions, a purple coloration extractable by ether, leaving the aqueous layer blue. A solution of ephedrine base in chloroform on standing is partially converted into ephedrine hydrochloride. ... 

Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica) is another potentially harmful herb that is available in the United States. Claims of utility of Ma Huang for the treatment of bronchial asthma, cold and flu symptoms, fevers or chills, headaches and other aches, edema, and lack of perspiration have been made [23], Ma Huang contains approximately 1% of ephedrine and therefore possesses central nervous stimulatory potential [24], However, ephedrine is difficult to extract and purify from Ma Huang, so it presently has no street value. 

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrme can be extracted from cold and allergy tablets and converted in illegal labs to methamphetamine. 

Ephedrine. There are different types of ephedrine, so it may be necessary to experiment and find the one you are trying to extract, but they are generally the same, so most solvents may be good enough to get some product to test. 

Ephedrine is an alkaloid that is present in various forms of the ephedrine family, and which is still extracted from Ephedra sinica and Ephedra equisetina. Because of the presence of two asymmetric atoms, there are four isomeric forms. Pseudoepinephrine (d-isoephrine) is a stereoisomer with pharmacological action that differs slightly from ephedrine. The pharmacological action of ephedrine is typical of noncatecholamine sympathomimetics of mixed action. It stimulates both a- and 8-adrenoreceptors, and simultaneously causes a release of norepinephrine from synaptic neurons. Its vasoconstrictive ability is approximately 100 times weaker than that of epinephrine however, the duration of action is approximately 10 times longer. It is much less toxic than epinephrine, which allows it to be used widely in medicine. 

Ephedrine was originally isolated as the active agent present in plant extracts used in ancient Chinese medicine for respiratoiy ailments. As long ago as 1921 the formation of optically active phenylacetyl carbinol (PAC) from benzaldehyde and pyravate by brewers yeast and cell-free yeast extracts was reported. The PAC can then be reductively animated to produce optically active L-ephedrine (Figure 4.18). L-Ephedrine is widely used in the treatment of asthma and hay fever as a bronchodilating agent and decongestant. 

MOTHER NATURE S AMPHETAMINES Amphetamine does not occur naturally, but some substances found in nature are chemically related to amphetamine and have similar effects on the brain. Ephedrine can be found in Ephedra sinica, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and is known as ma huang. Its effects on the sympathetic nervous system are similar to amphetamine. However, this extract never achieved complete success as a psychoactive stimulant, primarily because it does not cross the blood—brain barrier as effectively as amphetamine. 

To improve supercritical C02 solubilities of target alkaloidal salts, an appropriate modifier to raise the polarity of C02 had to be used. As previously mentioned, the most common modifier used in SFE is methanol because of its high solvation parameters, which can greatly increase the resultant polarity of C02. Water has been chosen as another modifier because some alkaloidal salts are freely soluble in water as well as methanol. Moreover, the addition of water into C02 has been reported to improve the extraction yield of some alkaloids [29]. Methanol or water as a modifier was added into the extractor at the concentration levels of 1, 5 and 10% (v/v), respectively. The effect of methanol and water on the solubilities of hyoscyamine (1) and scopolamine (2) is shown in Figure 5. Analogous information on ephedrine derivatives such as methylephedrine (3), norephedrine (4), ephedrine (5), and pseudopehedrine is illustrated in Figure 6. 

Table 4. Yields of methylephedrine (ME), norephedrine (NE), ephedrine (E), and pseudoephedrine (PE) obtained by organic solvent extraction and SFE. Results are mg/g [41].u Reproduced with permission from Vieweg Publishing 1999.

Figure 11. Comparison of the gas chromatograms obtained by (A) 0.5 M H2S04 extraction and (B) SFE at 80 °C and 34.0 MPa using 20% diethylamine in methanol as a modifier. E = ephedrine (5), PE = pseudoephedrine (6) [41]. Reproduced with permission from Vieweg Publishing

Why is an herbal supplement in a book intended to report upon the things hardcore athletes have done It should be recalled that most AAS synthesis begins with a plant extract as does ephedrine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The point being that powerful things come from many places... sometimes. 

In the United States, ephedrine alkaloids are derived from the Ephedra sinica, or ma huang plant. Most ephedra supplements contain a standard extract of 6-8% ephedrine alkaloids. Other herbs and ingredients, including caffeine, may also be added to ephedra supplements. 

Ephedra is available in multiple forms. It is a common ingredient in energy boosting bars, sold as Herbal Ecstasy in some health food stores, and is also available as powder that can be mixed with water. Health food stores may sell powdered ephedrine stems, which can be used in a tea, or they may sell infusion, extracts, tinctures, or tablets of ephedra. Health food stores may also sell ephedra as the ma huang herb. Many manufacturers tend to advertise or market ephedra supplements as natural or as a botanical herb, because some consumers equate natural with safe. In China, ephedra may be boiled with cinnamon twig, licorice root, and almond to treat the common cold. 

Ephedra An extract of the eastern Asian plant ma huang, containing ephedrine... 

Methylpentynol Bulk TLC extracted 50% EtOH (15 ml) RT, 30 min, centrifuged, filtered. ISTD-benzyltriethyl-ammonium chloride cm 75 ID, 28 kV Silica 0.005M barium hydroxide (pH 10) CHCI3-acctonc (4 1) KMnO, methylpseudo-ephedrine 5 min, pseudoephedrine 6.2 min, ephedrine 6.8 min, methylephedrine 7.8 min. norpseudoephedrine 8.1 min, norephedrine 8.8 min GC 2] [1]... 

Ephedrine is a component of the traditional Chinese remedy Ma Huang, extracted from Ephedra species, it is also used in nasal sprays as a decongestant. Pseudoephedrine is the active component of the decongestant Sudafed (so should that be Pseudephed ). 

Early in this chapter, we said that most of the molecules in nature are chiral, arid that Nature usually produces these molecules as single enantiomers. We ve talked about the amino acids, the sugars, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and tartaric acid—all compounds that can be isolated from natural sources as single enantiomers. On the other hand, in the lab, if we make chiral compounds from achiral starting materials, we are doomed to get racemic mixtures. So how do chemists ever isolate compounds as single enantiomers, other than by extracting them from natural sources We ll consider this question in much more detail in Chapter 45, but here we will look at the simplest way using nature s enantiomerically pure compounds to help us separate the components of a racemic mixture into its two enantiomers. This process is called resolution. 

In its 2005 and 2006 reports on the implementation of article 12,10- 11 the Board alerted Governments to an increase in trafficking in ephedra, a plant material not under international control from which ephedrine is extracted. The Netherlands, for instance, reported for 2006 a seizure of 94 tons of ephedra the material was found to contain more than 20 per cent ephedrine. In 2006, Germany reported an attempted diversion of 800 tons of ephedra extracts and Luxembourg seized two tons of the substance that had... 

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