Extraction and Separation of the Anhalonium Alkaloids

Extractipn of the drug and isolation of the alkaloids from A. lewinii have been described by Heffter (4), Kauder (5), Tomaso (6), and Spath and Becke (7), as well as by Steiner-Bernier (8). 

The total alkaloidal content and the relative amount of the individual alkaloids varies widely Heffter s figures (%) are mescaline 6.3 anhalonidine 5.3 anhalonine 3.0 lophophorine 0.5 anhalamine 0.1. Spath s yields, working with old material, are much lower. The other bases occur in very small quantities anhalamine 0.1 % anhalinine 0.01 % anhalidine 0.001 %. 

In Heffter s opinion (9), A. lewinii does not contain pellotine, the main alkaloid of A. williamsii. Kauder found pellotine in the mescal buttons, but Heffter attributes this to contamination by A. wiUiamsii. This opinion is shared by Lewin (10). Morphologically, these species are difficult to separate. Spath and Becke s extraction and isolation process is as follows  

The drug is extracted with cold alcohol, and water is added to the sirup obtained by evaporating the extract in vacuo. The insoluble residue is treated with dilute hydrochloric acid. The solutions are united and filtered, and the filtrate is made alkaline with strong potassium hydroxide and extracted with ether. At this point the ether solution (a) contains the non-phenolic bases, while the aqueous solution (b) contains the phenolic alkaloids. 

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