Scientists Engineer Yeast to Produce Kratom Alkaloids from Glucose

Why it matters

Producing kratom alkaloids through yeast fermentation could eventually enable pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing independent of kratom plants, opening the door to standardized drug development.

The big picture

This synthetic biology breakthrough positions kratom alkaloids — particularly mitragynine — as viable candidates for pharmaceutical development, bypassing supply chain issues and enabling the creation of novel derivatives for pain, addiction, and depression treatment.

Key findings

• • Researchers reconstructed a five-step biosynthetic pathway for mitragynine and speciogynine in baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
• • Achieved ~290 µg/L production of kratom monoterpene indole alkaloids from glucose
• • Used a fungal tryptamine 4-monooxygenase to bypass an unknown kratom hydroxylase step
• • Demonstrated production of fluorinated and hydroxylated mitragynine derivatives with novel drug discovery potential

What they say

Metabolic engineering and biosynthesis study from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, in collaboration with UC Berkeley; posted on bioRxiv (2024).

Bottom line

By engineering yeast to produce kratom alkaloids de novo, researchers have created a platform for pharmaceutical-grade synthesis and novel derivative development without relying on kratom plant supply.