Re: CS>DMSO and ChagaHi Doug,

Many thanks! 

Would you suggest using the 4:1 ratio of distilled water to DMSO with Chaga?

How long should I let it sit in the above mixture to get the tincture?

I ordered a pound of dried Chaga from this site:

http://www.mitobi.com/chaga.html

and would greatly appreciate any further tips!

thanks,

Peter
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lisa 
  To: silver-list@eskimo.com 
  Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 12:37 PM
  Subject: RE: CS>DMSO and Chaga


  Hi Doug,

   

  I've got some propolis from my beehives (kept in the freezer so it is a 
couple years old). What ratio would you suggest in making a tincture with it?

   

  Thx

   

  Lisa

   


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: polo [mailto:dah...@centurytel.net] 
  Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 11:41 AM
  To: silver-list@eskimo.com
  Subject: Re: CS>DMSO and Chaga

   

  I have been intrigued with the chaga fungi as well, but I have yet to find 
one growing. Birches are not that common in my region. I see no reason why DMSO 
could not extract its components as well as the traditional ethanol menstruums. 
The only logical thing is for you to try both and see what you think. That is 
what I do. I tincture most all herbs in both DMSO or ethanol and use and 
compare the two. I have yet to be disappointed with DMSO tinctures. In many 
cases, the DMSO tincture seems a richer tincture and just as effective, if not 
more so. Certainly if you are aining at a topical medicaiton, DMSO is far 
superior to an ethanol one! It particularly produces a nice bee propolis 
tincture as compared to ethanol.

   

  Generally, DMSO is considered to dissolve about almost everything. There does 
seem to be some exceptions. Amino acids, dipeptides and some other similar 
zwitterionic compounds,  greasy hydrocarbons can all prove a problem for DMSO. 
DMSO will not absorb molecules with a molecular weight over 1000---but then, 
most of the time, large molecules are poorly absorbable in the biologic being 
any way. Drugs which will not dissolve: chloroquine diphosphate, ciprofloxacin 
(some of the other fluoroquinolines as well) and drugs with quaternary amines. 
A large majority of  compounds seen to best be dissolved in 1:4 water:DMSO 
mixtures.  

   

  doug

    ----- Original Message ----- 

     

     

    Peter,
    This may be best answered by Doug, Malcolm or Renee who have more tincture 
experience than I. The Chaga mushroom looks very interesting.  Tincturing of 
muchrooms is common and in fact my first tincture was of a fungus because of 
the high cost of the commercial tincture.
    One problem of tincturing is determining the type of solvent the targeted 
substances are soluble in. Generally I prefer to extract all the components 
within an herb so I use an alcohol tincture that should extract both water and 
oil soluble components. More recently I have also used DMSO to help increase 
the boiavailibility of some substances that have a low bioavailibility. Also 
some substances are more soluble in DMSO although some are not.
    Finding the solubility of all the individual components within a plant is 
difficult if not sometimes impossible. Up till recently I used a water 
extraction, decoction, or alcohol or DMSO tincture. Lately I have been 
considering alcohol with DMSO in a single tincture but I don't for sure that 
that it is better.
    In answer to your question, DMSO can improve bioavailability esp with 
substances that have a lower biiavailability normally. It may not always be 
necessary but it won't hurt that I know of. I think that it might be good to 
use with Chaga given the large number of substances contained in it.

     - Steve N