So my Peganum harmalas are fruiting out and I couldnt remember if, for ß-carboline alkaloid yield, they were best harvested ripe or unripe. I searched here and in my books and only got confused by contradictory quotes.
Some here give vague references to unripe seed being 'weaker', others say 'stronger'.
Ott references works stating...

That implies that immature seeds were tested but without quantitative data it could easily be a mistaken implication. I managed to translate the abstract of the turkish paper and it seemed to just have tested mature seeds. "In this study, collected from the vicinity of Nigde-Bor P. harmala L. (Zygophyllaceae) mature seeds of plant active principles were examined." That is the one that reported the 7% and it was "total alkaloid" rather than total ß-carbolines.
K. Trout says that Degtyarev et al. 1984 Chemistry of Natural Compounds 20 (2): 240-241 states...


I'm tempted to go with Degtyarev.
I thought I had once read a thread here that tested the issue but I've searched to no avail.
Has anyone compared 'green' and ripe seed pods, either quantitatively or subjectively?
My yield this year will be too low to obtain a amount sufficient for extraction from both ripe and unripe fruits.

Why dont you collect some unripe seeds and then collect some ripe seeds and extract both separately and let us knbow the results?

This is the first harvest from my plants (their second year), production wont be high enough for reliable extraction efficacy and accurate product measurement. I'm expecting a quarter ounce or less, dry weight. I should have grown more plants but I thought they'd have grown larger than they did this year. Should be 'nuf for a couple smokes and teas tho.

That's what I said then I read the bottom of Auxin's post and removed my comment.

Though saying that you prob could work out something with 3 grams ripe vs 3 grams dry. I did an extract my mate gave me from an eighth of seeds he had procured for a aya trip that he bottled out of.

I did not get a lot but it would be enough to quantify which was the best time to harvest.

an iranian guy once told me that peganum seeds are best if they are kept fresh and picked in their early maturity. he is not a scientist nor did he tested this with scientific measurements, but i think he knows this from personal experience.

he said they should smell alot, and that the fresh and strong smell is also indicator of their potency.


edit : i always got arround 5 %, and my seeds were of good quality.