I came across a large branch cut from a floribunda, which was being heavily pruned.
I took several kilos of bark straight after it had been cut. A couple of weeks later I took more, then a third sample about a month after the first. In between, we had several bouts of very heavy, prolonged rain.
I was quite interested in what happened, in that the first sample yielded around 0.2% DMT, the second 0.24% and the third 0.31%. All from exactly the same bark taken at different times, but after the branch had been cut.

My extraction methodology was exactly the same each time (I'm very 'retentive' on process).

I’m theorising that the DMT level increased in the bark either as a defence mechanism in an attempt to save itself, or the DMT was sucked from the phyllodes that were still present in an attempt for the branch to survive.

I have not come across any information (maybe I’m not that well-read) on how plants produce DMT, but it does appear to be increased in times of stress both in plants and animals.

If it could be a stress response, that is an interesting possibility for increasing yield by simply leaving phyllodes or cut branches for a while before extracting…….

Is anyone aware of anything I may be blatantly missing here?

Very interesting indeed! I am curious about this now. It doesn't seem like DMT is used as a defense for the plants that contain it as it is not active orally so it would be presumably useless against animals that seek to ingest it. I wonder though how it affects the growth of the plant. I know that you can stress Cacti to increase the yields of Mescaline but Mescaline is used as a natural defense in the plant.

I look forward to more discussion and research on this topic! Thank you so much for posting your findings!

Keep up the great work

I reiterate what I said in this thread, it's a treasure trove of information.

https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=52595

Have fun!

Wattapwn - sorry I wasn't clear in my meaning - I was thinking of the likelihood that DMT is a protective to extend life in dire circumstances for organisms, rather than a defense against other animal invaders.

In humans, it looks like DMT may be neuroprotective and I wish for the life of me I could remember where I had seen it, that there is consideration of using DMT in cardiac events in hospitals to slow down brain injury significantly. This is interesting:

http://www.nrronline.org...6;epage=397;aulast=Szabo

https://link.springer.co...0.1007/s00702-013-1024-y


I wish I could spend more time here, but circumstances don't allow it for me.

Thanks Bodhisativa. Really interesting thread. We know so little, and that keeps us wanting to learn !

So actually cutting something and leaving it out will actually decompose. I'm trying to find out what the exact term is but it won't increase yield. What will increase yield is stressing plants if they are connected at the roots. Letting it starve from water or bending and forcing alks to a certain part of the plant. That's called Low Stress Training. But we use that to branch a plant. I don't suggest not watering your plant to let it starve...it would die

I completely read your post wrong, I shouldn't read at midnight. Anyways things cuts from the plant should trigger a response to decompose. So I'm wondering how that occurred. When you get the chance again, try to repeat those circumstances.

Good luck on the research

Creator,

Yes, decomposition is the last stage. Acacia tolerate harsh conditions, and I note that the branch referred to, appeared to last a very long time before even any wilting was obvious. This coupled with rain suggested that the cut branch 'survived' for quite a while. Possibly long enough for it to attempt to create a response to the trauma.

Merely an observation.

it is good to do careful observation, Bluing

we should bare in mind that there are metabolism differences between different species of acacia, particularly between phyllodinous and bi-binnate species, the later of which can survive much longer or easily as cuttings, generally..

with regards to the reported observation, there is another important factor to take into account - i have quietly mentioned this with regards to acacia extraction (as i prefer to encourage people to think, and yes observe, for themselves)
- but essentially, yields will increase the more dried the material is, due to a range of volatile compounds and still condensing tannins, which can interfere with the efficiency of the procedure - the way this can be demonstrated not to be a change in the plant material itself, is by applying especially vigorous and mutli-stage tests on the initial liquid extractions..where eventually the same result is obtained

however, there's some unpublished findings from the 90s that certain acacia species will change their chemical profile if material (bark) is collected, but the tree remains alive - the evidence pointed to a change in chemical profile to produce bufotenine, 5meo, and particularly potentially nasty phenolic compounds, which would seem to be, while to a total firewall, a means of defence, as the resulting changes would be unpleasant to the majority of mammalian systems..

keep up the spirit of observation, Bluing

NEN !!!!

I just logged in to send you a PM - I didn't know you had responded to my post prior to this. You are one of the people I would like to personally thank for your posts over the years. I have only recently done extracts, and even more recently got good extracts, and much of it is due to your amazing contributions which have assisted me in identifying appropriate acacia.

Thank you, thank you, thank you !

that's a common acacia stress response. acacias are smar trees, quite literally. search youtube for acacias teaming up to kill antelopes (or something similar somewhere in south africa) over-grazing on them.
you should investigate further, write a paper, etc methinks.