Steve,
I recommend a pure (upper 90s%) DMSO menstruum (herbal solvent), if you
are planning on tincturing the fresh green herb. If you are tincturing dry
herbs, I would go with the recommended ratios that are traditionally used
and varies from herb to herb. For instance it is recommended that when you
tincture dry poke root, you use a 50% ethanol/50% water solution, so I would
likewise use a 50% DMSO/50% water solution. Just substitute the DMSO for
ethanol.
DMSO should not need a preservative if used at the higher strengths,
just like ethanol. Things usually do not grow in DMSO as they do not in
ethanol, presuming the strength is high. I would not be afraid of herbal
tinctures 30% or higher in DMSO concentrations. I mostly only use High
purity DMSO in my tincturing process and I have yet to have a tincture
spoil.
I have never tried to combine DMSO and ethanol as a combination
menstruum. Interesting concept! I can only see an advantage to this from a
solvent standpoint if both solvents can extract components of an herb, if
one by itself could not. If you are only adding DMSO to provide a more
efficient vehicle of herbal drug delivery, then yes, that might be an
advantage too, though most people detest DMSO. You could extract the herb by
either using a combined DMSO/ethanol menstruum or just tincturing each herb
in a DMSO or ethanol menstruum then combining the two. Either way should be
ok to my way of thinking.
The eclectic medical movement that specialized in botanical medicines
from the late 1800s up till 1932 or so, found that the best poke root
tincture was made directly from the fresh green poke root. The dry poke root
is no where near as good or potent. The toxic qualities of poke weed are
highly exaggerated. No doubt if you ate the mature weed like you would the
young one or as you would any salad, you would suffer gastro-intestinal
distress, but that's about it--puking. In some circles, it is felt that
vomiting as a result of poke root is actually cathartic. This is held mainly
by the puke & cleanse old time herbalists. I would not be worried about the
widely publicized toxicity of poke. I know you will find that some young
children in the long ago past were said to be poisoned by the berry. Maybe
so. We don't know how much they ate, nor if they were compromised in some
way or if younger systems are more susceptible. In the adult, poke berries
were commonly used for arthritic conditions. As the old cliché goes, all
things are poison in the right amounts and most poisons are medicinal in
smaller amounts. Poke is no different. It is one of my favorite herbs and a
superb anti-viral and lymphatic stimulant. It is great as a topical DMSO
tincture.
doug
----- Original Message -----
Doug,
A little while back I asked you about making tinctures with DMSO (using
the email address provided at your web site). If I remember right you
recommended a 50% DMSO solution. Thanks for the info. I was wondering if
you use a preservative in your DMSO tinctures? I am considering a
DMSO/vodka tincture and wondered if you have tried something similar. If
you do, would you need to combine the herb and DMSO and let it set
first before adding the vodka, to maximize bonding between DMSO and herb
components rather than DMSO bonding with alcohol?
I also have a question regarding the tincturing of polkweed. The toxic
components of pokeweed are water soluble. Should one dry and powder the
pokeweed and then go through several soaking in water. Throwing away the
water after each soaking before tincturing to eliminate the toxic
substances? Or would you recommend an extraction using a non polar
solvent to remove only the non water soluble components of the pokeweed?
Thanks,
Steve N
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