Fresh Salvia divinorum leaves (5.350 kg) were lyophilized and forced through 7- and 16-mesh screens yielding 674.1 g of powdered dry material. The powder was extracted in 30-40 g lots for 24 hr with ethyl ether (1 L/lot) using Soxhlet apparatus and dried in vacuo, giving a total of 27.51 g of ether extract. The extract was partitioned between hexanes (600 mL) and 90% aqueous methanol (600 mL) for 48 h using a liquid/liquid extractor and yielded, after removal of the solvent in vacuo, a 7.41 g methanol fraction. The hexane fraction was repartitioned as above and the combined concentrated methanol fractions (9.36 g) were subjected to further purification by flash column chromatography.
[The 9.36 g of methanolic fraction eventually yielded 893 mg of pure Salvinorin A]
Ref.
Valdes L.J. et al; Divinorum A, a Psychotropic Terpenoid, and Divinorin
B from the Hallucinogenic Mexican Mint Salvia divinorum; J. Org. Chem.
1984, 49, 4716-4720.