Here's a good one...

[mixmaster]

A friend I know was at an auction, and bought several very old bottles of ergot powder-these bottles were over 50 years old. The question is: Is the alkaloid still viable, or is the material in the bottles trash? Illuminate me.

[Maggie Sugar]

I wouldn't use it. Even Ergot used pharmacuetically can have some nasty side effects when fresh (gangrene anyone?) I wouldn't mess around with 50 year old meds. I had to use pharm ergots for migraine years ago, and both the doc and the pharmacy was VERY adamant about discarding any more than a year old. Seems it breaks down into pretty toxic stuff pretty fast.

[36fuckin5]

If you know what to do with the ergot, and have access to the equipment to do so, you should know how to see if it's still active.

[psilonaut]

Ergot!? Even if the alkaloids were still active, would you wanna mess around with a compound like that? eech, the thought scares me:eek:

[forgetmenot]

Ergotine is a bad chemical, what you want is LSA-111 and unless they stored the pharms frozen for 50 yrs i wouldn't ingest it (i wouldn't anyway, thats just another reason).

Just extract from morning glories or hbwr.
peace
ben