Oregon Grape root soap

[Phyllis]

Has anyone ever uses Oregon Grape root (rather the yellow inner bark) oil infusions in any of their soaps? The inner bark contains a high concentration of the antibiotic berberine, but I wonder if the survives saponification.

 

[three_little_fishes]

I'm sorry. I've never even heard of it, but it sounds interesting!

 

[Phyllis]

I'm sorry. I've never even heard of it, but it sounds interesting!

Its kind of a regional thing, I suppose. Oregon Grape is a common Pacific Northwest native plant, with some significant medicinal properties. Actual medicinal properties; a lot of herbalism is voodoo in my opinion. The plant contains berberine berbamine oxyacanthine, which is an antibiotic. There is so much of it that it turns the inner bark of the roots bright yellow. Suppose it could be good in soap.

 

[bodhi]

Voodoo-ist here

Berberine, Berbamine, and Oxycanthine are thee of the many active constituents in Oregon Grape. Berberine being the most talked about these days. It is antibiotic against specific pathogens, antiarrythmic, neurotransmitter blocking, and has many other uses.. It would survive in the soap. Whether or not you could extract enough to make it worth wile is the question. Its not readily extractable.

 

[Phyllis]

Voodoo-ist here

Berberine, Berbamine, and Oxycanthine are thee of the many active constituents in Oregon Grape. Berberine being the most talked about these days. It is antibiotic against specific pathogens, antiarrythmic, neurotransmitter blocking, and has many other uses.. It would survive in the soap. Whether or not you could extract enough to make it worth wile is the question. Its not readily extractable.

Interesting. Everything I have studied says it is quite easily extractable in water, oil, and alcohol. I guessed that it would survive soapmaking, but wasn't sure if it had been tried much.

 

[bodhi]

Interesting indeed. It is extractable in water and alcohol, you just dont get much without more of a process or different solvents. Where have you read the berberine is extractable in oil? got a link?

 

[Phyllis]

Interesting indeed. It is extractable in water and alcohol, you just dont get much without more of a process or different solvents. Where have you read the berberine is extractable in oil? got a link?

I've read it several places...in some books...but its been a while so I can't direct you to my source. Sorry. My oil turned dark orange. Once I finish setting up my little home lab, I intend to do a bit of biological experimentation. Anyway, it made my soap a nice yellow, if nothing else.

 

[Phyllis]

Actually, just Google "Oregon Grape bererine oil infusion" and a bunch of stuff pops up. Some may or may not be credible; decide for yourself.

 

[bodhi]

Interesting indeed. Im sure youve got a lot of goodies in that oil, but dont count on there being any of the alkaloids if all you used was the infused oil. It stayed yellow? Very nice. I was expecting a change when it hit the lye. Would you post a picture? I would love to see how it turned out.

 

[Phyllis]

I'd have to get a digital camera first...I'm not very up to date with gadgets.

 

[Phyllis]

I read somewhere about adding herbal infusions to rebatched soap. The soap was remelted and the infusions added, so it wasn't a rebatch where new oils/lye were added to the old soap. Do you know anything about this?

 

[bodhi]

Oh well. Glad youre happy with the result though.

Assed: Missed your last post before i replied... I have never rebatched a soap, so im not sure about the procedures, but if you have to add anything to do a rebatch, i dont see why you couldn't add it in an infused form.

 

[Phyllis]

I have read something about remelting soap and adding herbal infusions. Do you know anything about that?

 

[bodhi]

Changing my reply after re reading your question. I have never remelted either, so, sorry, no idea.