Cannalytics - Fingerprint & THC Test Kit
The Cannalytics - Cannabis Fingerprint kit (previously called Cannalyse) is a unique mini-laboratory for home use. The fingerprint kit also contains a unique standardized & high performance developing protocol for thin layer chromatography, specific for cannabinoids and a total-extraction specific for Cannabis. The cannabinoids will be separated and identified on special impregnated TLC-plates.
Only a minimal amount of sample (100 mg) is needed for total cannabinoid extraction.
The Cannalytics Kit contains enough for 12 individual tests.
98 pounds sterling
$166 US.
another site sells 12 tests for;
146 euros!
There has been alot of talk about these, so I am sure all you out there have heard of them. I am also sure you already know how valuble they could be, for example a breeding program, selecting prospective mother plants, testing potency of male plants!
But after forking out $200 after shipping from Europe, for 12 tests it limits you to using them solely for novelty testing or maybe selecting a mother from 10 different plants based on THC / CBD. Any decent breeding program will require hundreds if not thousands of tests.
I have seen out of all the conversations regarding this product only one person clever enough (or just not stoned enough) to ask could we not make these ourselves?
And the answer is a big 10-4, in fact before the people at Alpha Nova decided to sell these. The method they stole was and is used regularly (well not as much in the laboratory nowadays, the dye used is now known to be toxic). I never commented on this previously because for 50 tests it cost like $100 with shipping, so for the solvents and so fourth it contains and its relatively hassle free and a decent deal, in my eyes that did not amount to robbery, but now it is, so...
Lets examine just what you get, in depth.
12 eppendorf tubes
3 pipettes
12 TLC plates
Gloves
1 empty spray bottle
1 developing chamber (big jar)
1 fuel burner (small candle)
Instructions
Reference card
1 small bottle of solvent/devolping agent (75% chloroform + 25% 1,2-Dichloroethane)
1 small bottle of vizualizing agent (0.3%w/v aqueous solution of Diazo Fast Blue B salt)
Cotton wool balls (filter)
Capillary tube
As you can see the TLC plates, the solvent and the dye are the only things that one may have trouble with. If one purchases fast blue b salt from a dye company you get it in pound quantities relatively cheaply. For a 0.3%w/v solution with water is not using much! 1 pound of fast blue b salt would produce many liters of visualizing agent. Enough for many thousands of tests!
The procedure is to put a wieghed chopped up sample, into the eppendorf tube. The pipette is used to add the solvent. Close the lid and shake and let it rest for a predetermined amount of time, open the eppendorf tube and drop a cotton wool ball in. The cotton wool acts like a filter, a capillary tube is used to take sample and is then spotted on to the TLC plate. The spotted TLC plate placed in the developing chamber (big jar), and the solvent from above is carefully added until the bottom of the TLC plate is 3-5mm
under the level of the solvent. The developing chamber sealed, and the chromatogram is allowed to devolop for a predetermined time ( about 20 minutes). It has finished when the solvent front nears the top of the TLC plate. Take the plate out and let it dry.
Now you take that small empty spray bottle and fill it with the stuff from the other bottle (visualizing agent). Take the spray bottle and give the dry TLC plate a light spray, instantaneously the cannabinoids will be seen as in the first picture given.
You can also use fluorescent TLC plates and use ultraviolet light to visualize the plates. Putting a flame underneath reveals extra spots by pyrolysis. Iodine solutions work so does sulfuric acid but for the best results you need at least 75% chloroform in your solvent and fast blue b salt to visualize the spots.
note; When doing many tests, your tests have to be standardized. i.e every sample has to weigh exactly the same. Exactly the same amount of solvent has to be used every time. How long you leave the tlc plate in the developing chamber has to the same every time, so on and so forth you get it.
References, I wont even give any references to the literature that uses this and similar methods alot. Just take the patent that Alpha Nova filed for there ridiculously priced Cannalytics test.
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Ou2WAAAAEBAJ&dq=thc+fingerprint
The chemistry of the dye Fast blue B salt is also very interesting. Like why it changes color, in the presence of different cannabinoids.
The Cannalytics - Cannabis Fingerprint kit (previously called Cannalyse) is a unique mini-laboratory for home use. The fingerprint kit also contains a unique standardized & high performance developing protocol for thin layer chromatography, specific for cannabinoids and a total-extraction specific for Cannabis. The cannabinoids will be separated and identified on special impregnated TLC-plates.
Only a minimal amount of sample (100 mg) is needed for total cannabinoid extraction.
The Cannalytics Kit contains enough for 12 individual tests.
98 pounds sterling
$166 US.
another site sells 12 tests for;
146 euros!
There has been alot of talk about these, so I am sure all you out there have heard of them. I am also sure you already know how valuble they could be, for example a breeding program, selecting prospective mother plants, testing potency of male plants!
But after forking out $200 after shipping from Europe, for 12 tests it limits you to using them solely for novelty testing or maybe selecting a mother from 10 different plants based on THC / CBD. Any decent breeding program will require hundreds if not thousands of tests.
I have seen out of all the conversations regarding this product only one person clever enough (or just not stoned enough) to ask could we not make these ourselves?
And the answer is a big 10-4, in fact before the people at Alpha Nova decided to sell these. The method they stole was and is used regularly (well not as much in the laboratory nowadays, the dye used is now known to be toxic). I never commented on this previously because for 50 tests it cost like $100 with shipping, so for the solvents and so fourth it contains and its relatively hassle free and a decent deal, in my eyes that did not amount to robbery, but now it is, so...
Lets examine just what you get, in depth.
12 eppendorf tubes
3 pipettes
12 TLC plates
Gloves
1 empty spray bottle
1 developing chamber (big jar)
1 fuel burner (small candle)
Instructions
Reference card
1 small bottle of solvent/devolping agent (75% chloroform + 25% 1,2-Dichloroethane)
1 small bottle of vizualizing agent (0.3%w/v aqueous solution of Diazo Fast Blue B salt)
Cotton wool balls (filter)
Capillary tube
As you can see the TLC plates, the solvent and the dye are the only things that one may have trouble with. If one purchases fast blue b salt from a dye company you get it in pound quantities relatively cheaply. For a 0.3%w/v solution with water is not using much! 1 pound of fast blue b salt would produce many liters of visualizing agent. Enough for many thousands of tests!
The procedure is to put a wieghed chopped up sample, into the eppendorf tube. The pipette is used to add the solvent. Close the lid and shake and let it rest for a predetermined amount of time, open the eppendorf tube and drop a cotton wool ball in. The cotton wool acts like a filter, a capillary tube is used to take sample and is then spotted on to the TLC plate. The spotted TLC plate placed in the developing chamber (big jar), and the solvent from above is carefully added until the bottom of the TLC plate is 3-5mm
under the level of the solvent. The developing chamber sealed, and the chromatogram is allowed to devolop for a predetermined time ( about 20 minutes). It has finished when the solvent front nears the top of the TLC plate. Take the plate out and let it dry.
Now you take that small empty spray bottle and fill it with the stuff from the other bottle (visualizing agent). Take the spray bottle and give the dry TLC plate a light spray, instantaneously the cannabinoids will be seen as in the first picture given.
You can also use fluorescent TLC plates and use ultraviolet light to visualize the plates. Putting a flame underneath reveals extra spots by pyrolysis. Iodine solutions work so does sulfuric acid but for the best results you need at least 75% chloroform in your solvent and fast blue b salt to visualize the spots.
note; When doing many tests, your tests have to be standardized. i.e every sample has to weigh exactly the same. Exactly the same amount of solvent has to be used every time. How long you leave the tlc plate in the developing chamber has to the same every time, so on and so forth you get it.
References, I wont even give any references to the literature that uses this and similar methods alot. Just take the patent that Alpha Nova filed for there ridiculously priced Cannalytics test.
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Ou2WAAAAEBAJ&dq=thc+fingerprint
The chemistry of the dye Fast blue B salt is also very interesting. Like why it changes color, in the presence of different cannabinoids.
