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This is not a necessary operation (as in, why bother?) as both are active and work quite well to orally activate DMT.

Harmaline is somewhat stronger than harmine but is unlikely to occur to any appreciable degree in Banisteriopsis caapi. It may occur to a substantial degree in Peganum harmala.

This procedure takes advantage of the relative insolubilities of harmine and harmaline in basic solutions to enable their separation.

If one wants to separate the harmine from the harmaline, the mixed hydrochloride salts which were obtained above can be dissolved into a warm solution with water; and ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) cautiously added a small bit at a time. The solution needs to be frequently checked under a microscope. The addition of the ammonia causes the regeneration of harmine and harmaline as their free base. Both of the free bases are insoluble in water. The ammonia will cause fractional crystallization of the harmine first, as it is less soluble, and then the harmaline. The harmine will form long needles (mp 257°). As soon as plates of harmaline crystals start to form the addition of ammonia must be stopped and the harmine filtered off. Further addition of ammonia to the mother liquor will recover the harmaline as crystalline plates (mp 238°). The harmine and the harmaline can then each be further purified by recrystallizing them as their hydrochlorides.

For example: the precipitated harmine can be further purified by twice dissolving in hydrochloric acid solution and precipitating with salt to recover the harmine hydrochloride as a completely white salt.

If desired, harmine can be reconverted to its base by the action of ammonia on a warm aqueous solution of its hydrochloride.