I'm trying to figure this out, I seen the list on the website, but I can't figure out how to judge what kind of effect each will have. Mostly because they almost all have the same chemo type. 462 or 463. The one I tried last night was very heavy body, and nice mental effects to, but a true muscle relaer, papa ele, I have Hiwa as well as pana Ewa. One is 463. I know all these kavas have different effects but similar chemo type. Trying to figure out which one to try during the day and which to order next. Maybe I just haven't figured out reading chemo types but it makes it hard when they are pretty much the same.
Confused about reading chemo types
- Thread starter Robert
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There's a lot to read about chemotypes on this site...but basically the #2 or the #5 ('double bonded kavalactones') appearing in the 1st three numbers of the chemotype will result in a slightly 'heavier' or stronger, longer effect ('double bonded kavalactones') ...if both #2 and #5 are in the 1st 3 numbers together, then you will have an even more heavy, sedating kava. And possibly nauseating, if you're not careful. #463 kava's have none of those heavier kavalactones and make for a cleaner, lighter, headier experience. Not as sedating or muscle melting.
infraredz
BULA!
I understand your confusion and it's not something that is easy to figure out at first. Shakas gave a very good introduction and accurate information for you.
The problem that you may be running into is that chemotypes don't say how much of a given kavalactone is in the plant, other than relative to the other ones. For example, there can be two kavas that have a 463xxx which means that Kavain is the most abundant, than Methysticin is less abundant than Kavain, and that Yangonin is less abundant than Methysticin.
The problem is this, we could have two kavas that have a 463xxx chemotype but have one that has, (for example) 70% Kavain, 20% Methysticin and then 5% Yangonin, then tiny percentages of the rest. Then, we could have a kava that has a chemotype of 463xxx that has (for example) 30% Kavain, 19% Methysticin, 15% Yangonin, then higher amounts of the rest.
What I'm trying to say is that we only get a relative ratio of the kavalactone concentration in that it doesn't say exactly how much of each kavalactone there is.
However, and this is something that takes a while to "develop" is getting in tune with the very fine subtle differences between kavas. At first, sometimes feel like they are all the same in terms of effects, but the more that they drink different varieties, the more they find the differences and fine subtleties between them. The chemotype is still very important and is a good indicator of how a kava will act, but then again, we all react slightly different to a given kavalactone. For example, I am very sensitive to Kavain and can actually feel a little too energized and uplifted by kavain whereas most people don't have this experience.
That being said, for the vast majority of people, they respond very similarly. I'll copy and post the Wiki page we have for it, but it doesn't include the full article which can be found here: http://www.kavaforums.com/forum/wiki/kava-chemotypes/
Kava Chemotypes
Understand the Relationship between Chemotypes and their Effects
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"A chemotype (sometimes chemovar) is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites. Minor genetic and epigenetic changes with little or no effect on morphology or anatomy may produce large changes in the chemical phenotype. Chemotypes are often defined by the most abundant chemical produced by that individual and the concept has been useful in work done by chemical ecologists and natural product chemists. With respect to plant biology, the term "chemotype" was first coined by Dr. Rolf Santesson and his son Johan in 1968, defined as, "...chemically characterized parts of a population of morphologically indistinguishable individuals."[1]"
Chemotypes can be used to estimate the physiological effect that a given kava will have due to the variation in effects within the 6 main kavalactones.
Chemotypes
Below are the numbers with their corresponding kavalactones. If a chemotype is said to be a 426 it means #4 kavalactone, kavain, is the most abundant, followed by #2 dihydrokavain, then #6 and so on. The first 3 lactones listed in a chemotype usually contain over 70% of the total kavalactone content.
1 = demethoxy-yangonin
2 = Dihydrokavain
3 = Yangonin
4 = Kavain
5 = Dihydromethysticin
6 = Methysticin
The problem that you may be running into is that chemotypes don't say how much of a given kavalactone is in the plant, other than relative to the other ones. For example, there can be two kavas that have a 463xxx which means that Kavain is the most abundant, than Methysticin is less abundant than Kavain, and that Yangonin is less abundant than Methysticin.
The problem is this, we could have two kavas that have a 463xxx chemotype but have one that has, (for example) 70% Kavain, 20% Methysticin and then 5% Yangonin, then tiny percentages of the rest. Then, we could have a kava that has a chemotype of 463xxx that has (for example) 30% Kavain, 19% Methysticin, 15% Yangonin, then higher amounts of the rest.
What I'm trying to say is that we only get a relative ratio of the kavalactone concentration in that it doesn't say exactly how much of each kavalactone there is.
However, and this is something that takes a while to "develop" is getting in tune with the very fine subtle differences between kavas. At first, sometimes feel like they are all the same in terms of effects, but the more that they drink different varieties, the more they find the differences and fine subtleties between them. The chemotype is still very important and is a good indicator of how a kava will act, but then again, we all react slightly different to a given kavalactone. For example, I am very sensitive to Kavain and can actually feel a little too energized and uplifted by kavain whereas most people don't have this experience.
That being said, for the vast majority of people, they respond very similarly. I'll copy and post the Wiki page we have for it, but it doesn't include the full article which can be found here: http://www.kavaforums.com/forum/wiki/kava-chemotypes/
Kava Chemotypes
Understand the Relationship between Chemotypes and their Effects
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"A chemotype (sometimes chemovar) is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites. Minor genetic and epigenetic changes with little or no effect on morphology or anatomy may produce large changes in the chemical phenotype. Chemotypes are often defined by the most abundant chemical produced by that individual and the concept has been useful in work done by chemical ecologists and natural product chemists. With respect to plant biology, the term "chemotype" was first coined by Dr. Rolf Santesson and his son Johan in 1968, defined as, "...chemically characterized parts of a population of morphologically indistinguishable individuals."[1]"
Chemotypes can be used to estimate the physiological effect that a given kava will have due to the variation in effects within the 6 main kavalactones.
Chemotypes
Below are the numbers with their corresponding kavalactones. If a chemotype is said to be a 426 it means #4 kavalactone, kavain, is the most abundant, followed by #2 dihydrokavain, then #6 and so on. The first 3 lactones listed in a chemotype usually contain over 70% of the total kavalactone content.
1 = demethoxy-yangonin
2 = Dihydrokavain
3 = Yangonin
4 = Kavain
5 = Dihydromethysticin
6 = Methysticin
infraredz
BULA!
@Gourmet Hawaiian Kava
Chris, can you try to explain my post with some real world example since I know you have so much information about your plants and chemotypes and such.
I tried to post what I could, but I bet you are the best person to help him out!
Chris, can you try to explain my post with some real world example since I know you have so much information about your plants and chemotypes and such.
I tried to post what I could, but I bet you are the best person to help him out!
Hi Robert, @infraredz was correct in all that he said so let me see if I can give you some examples of the differences in chemotypes from variety to variety. First off there is a big difference between just the roots and the stump, for example if you look at this chemotype from a tudei kava it shows this--
Roots % Stump %
DMY 9.82% 8.18%
DHK 24.57% 25.76%
Y 16.23% 16.29%
K 20.54% 19.31%
DHM 13.44% 15.97%
M 15.4% 14.48%
The chemotype for the roots is 243651 and the stump is 243561. So you can see the chemotype looks almost the same but the different concentrations of each kavalactone is very different and it is this that creates the different effects you will get from the kava.
I will give you some more examples----
Here us some Boroguru that I just got in from my supplier in Vanuatu, I will be selling this on my website soon, shhh it's a secret.
I had it tested at 11% total kavalactones and the chemotype is 423651 and this is the break down if each individual kavalactone---
DMY = 10.8%
DHK 20.72%
Y 15.31%
K 28.83%
DHM 10.81%
M 13.51%
My Papa Ele Ele tested like this---
DMY 1.2%
DHK 3.27%
Y 3.24%
K 6.8%
DHM 1.29%
M 4.2%
Total kavalactones is 20% and the chemotype is 462351
When I was selling the Vanuatu instant kava this one was Borogu and it tested this way---
DMY 10%
DHK 26%
Y 17%
K 30%
DHM 8%
M 9%
Total kavalactones is 10% and the chemotype is 423165
I hope this helps you to see how it is the concentration of each kavalactone that gives the effects and how it changes the effects from variety to variety. Let me know if you need more examples or if you have any other questions, aloha.
Chris
Roots % Stump %
DMY 9.82% 8.18%
DHK 24.57% 25.76%
Y 16.23% 16.29%
K 20.54% 19.31%
DHM 13.44% 15.97%
M 15.4% 14.48%
The chemotype for the roots is 243651 and the stump is 243561. So you can see the chemotype looks almost the same but the different concentrations of each kavalactone is very different and it is this that creates the different effects you will get from the kava.
I will give you some more examples----
Here us some Boroguru that I just got in from my supplier in Vanuatu, I will be selling this on my website soon, shhh it's a secret.
I had it tested at 11% total kavalactones and the chemotype is 423651 and this is the break down if each individual kavalactone---DMY = 10.8%
DHK 20.72%
Y 15.31%
K 28.83%
DHM 10.81%
M 13.51%
My Papa Ele Ele tested like this---
DMY 1.2%
DHK 3.27%
Y 3.24%
K 6.8%
DHM 1.29%
M 4.2%
Total kavalactones is 20% and the chemotype is 462351
When I was selling the Vanuatu instant kava this one was Borogu and it tested this way---
DMY 10%
DHK 26%
Y 17%
K 30%
DHM 8%
M 9%
Total kavalactones is 10% and the chemotype is 423165
I hope this helps you to see how it is the concentration of each kavalactone that gives the effects and how it changes the effects from variety to variety. Let me know if you need more examples or if you have any other questions, aloha.
Chris
Last edited:
Monkava'd
A spoonful of sugar makes the Awa' go down.
Re-my current status.Hi Robert, @infraredz was correct in all that he said so let me see if I can give you some examples of the differences in chemotypes from variety to variety. First off there is a big difference between just the roots and the stump, for example if you look at this chemotype from a tudei kava it shows this--
Roots % Stump %
DMY 9.82% 8.18%
DHK 24.57% 25.76%
Y 16.23% 16.29%
K 20.54% 19.31%
DHM 13.44% 15.97%
M 15.4% 14.48%
The chemotype for the roots is 243651 and the stump is 243561. So you can see the chemotype looks almost the same but the different concentrations of each kavalactone is very different and it is this that creates the different effects you will get from the kava.
I will give you some more examples----
Here us some Borogu that I just got in from my supplier in Vanuatu, I will be selling this on my website soon, shhh it's a secret.
DMY = 10.8%
DHK 20.72%
Y 15.31%
K 28.83%
DHM 10.81%
M 13.51%
My Papa Ele Ele tested like this---
DMY 1.2%
DHK 3.27%
Y 3.24%
K 6.8%
DHM 1.29%
M 4.2%
Total kavalactones is 20% and the chemotype is 462351
When I was selling the Vanuatu instant kava this one was Borogu and it tested this way---
DMY 10%
DHK 26%
Y 17%
K 30%
DHM 8%
M 9%
Total kavalactones is 10% and the chemotype is 423165
I hope this helps you to see how it is the concentration of each kavalactone that gives the effects and how it changes the effects from variety to variety. Let me know if you need more examples or if you have any other questions, aloha.
Chris
Your a mighty fine gentleman there Chris; dem there chemotypes hold such a fine quality I'd put'm up on my steer and show the whole Saloon whatcha been up to;which is mighty fine sir and for that id'a give you my life plus the deed to my chicken coop to keep your secret; that's sayin something.
Honestly your secrets as good as a hound dogs hunting nose is sharp.
Hahaha
Really though that sounds great (the Vanuatu that is) and I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve. - Status