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G.B. Marini-Bettòlo & Juan A. Coch Frugoni studied electrophoretic separation [using LKB apparatus of Volmet & Svensson, CA 49, 1280e.], as applied to various mixtures of alkaloids, and published the displacement values of 68 alkaloids evaluated at various pH values.

By varying the pH they were able to effect different separations in different mixtures. Marini-Bettòlo & Coch Frugoni 1958

See more details and references in our references: i.e. Chemical Abstracts (1959) 53: 1633 and Marini-Bettòlo & Coch Frugoni 1958 [Coch Frugoni; in press, was also given in Chemical Abstracts 1959] ]

It should be mentioned that Hochstein & Paradies 1957 were unable to get adequate separation of harmine from harmaline and tetrahydroharmine using a countercurrent distribution device. de Siqueiro-Jaccoud 1959 also reported only one band using electrophoresis on Banisteriopsis caapi and Cabi paraensis.

Electrophoretic separation was also reported by Cheng & Mitchelson 1997 using high-performance capillary electrophoresis (micellar electrokinetic chromatography). They reported a fast, reproducible and high resolution separation of a variety of harman alkaloids from each other including harmine and harmaline.

Relative displacement values reported for Harmine (at varying pH):

pH	2.3	4.3	6.4	8.2	10.5	11.4
Relative displacement	41	31	26	0	0	0

Using Whatman No. 1 paper, 18x46 cm. at 8 v./cm. for 3 hours in the presence of `Universal buffer' [universal buffer was according to Britton & Robinson 1932].

Alkaline buffers were used at one quarter concentration to offset their greater ionic strength.

Visualization was with filtered UV (Corning N-9863) and used Iodine vapor and, also, for acid pH, Iodoplatinate spray and, for alkaline pH, K Iodobismuthate spray to develop.

See:
Marini-Bettòlo & Coch Frugoni 1958 and or Chemical Abstracts (1959) 53: 1633

In the process discussed above they had used 10 to 30 g of alkaloid in 1% CHCl₃ or H₂O. The paper strips were air dried and developed with Iodine vapor:

At pH 6 to 11.4, they used 2N H₂SO₄ and a solution containing 0.5 grams (BiO)₂-CO₃

· ½ H₂O in 1.5 cc of concentrated HCl and 3 grams of KI diluted to 50 cc. with water.

Marini-Bettòlo & Coch Frugoni 1956 and Chemical Abstracts (1958) 52: 653c ]