Semester 4, Week 8, Day 5: Brief Discussion on pH

My face is not as swollen today and the coconut oil seems to be helping with the itching so I think things will be better soon.  I get paid in 3 days and need more fruit so I'm hoping the swelling is down at least when I go to the store.  I'd like to have full visibility back!  I think it spread like this because of the scratching. I was also using lotion to moisturize instead of coconut oil.  The rash weeped pretty badly when I used the lotion which I think it what contributed to the spread. I don't notice any weeping now but I'm also trying to keep it covered in the oil.  That is harder to do on my hands.  I only have 2 assignments left to do this week and I'd like to get those knocked out today. We shall see.  I have a LOT to do and the kids have been keeping me busy.  It's bad enough my son has figured out how to get on the counter by climbing up the stove but he likes to try to figure out how to work the stove...  while sitting on it...  My daughter avoided the stove because it was "hot".  Foreshadowing for things to come I guess!  They have eaten leftovers from yesterday's breakfast.  I can make them some fresh of the same thing tomorrow or come up with something different.  We shall see.  Love and Light!

On tho the discussion on pH!

"Bryan A. Hanson briefly discusses the importance of pH in extracting alkaloids from plant material. Can you find examples of any traditional processes (food preservation, cooking, dyeing, medicinal or recreational botanicals, etc.) which employ pH as an agent for the separation of alkaloids from plant material? What about Coffee or Maté?"
 
The video that is under the coffee section is the same tea video as under the tea section, just so you know.
Most alkaloids are insoluble in water according to Hoffman (2003, p. 120). The lesson taught that the more basic the alkaloid, the more it would dissolve in the more acidic fluids. This makes sense because water has a pH of 7. something.  I think 4 or 5.  This would be why we use alcohol or vinegar for tinctures and some form of vinegar or wine for dressing for our salads.  We use acidic lemon in food preservation for basic vegetables. In fact, if the food is acidic, it doesn’t need to go in the food processor, a bath canner is fine and no lemon juice is required. If the food is not acidic, it needs the lemon and the food processor. Yes, I have used both. I know coffee is water-soluble (obviously) and is also acidic so the alkaline in the plant itself must be very basic to dissolve so well.
 
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Have a Great Day!