Chemists Achieve Shortest-Ever Total Synthesis of (+)-Mitragynine in 7 Steps

Why it matters

A new total synthesis of (+)-mitragynine — the enantiomer of kratom's primary alkaloid — in just seven steps from commercial starting materials opens a faster, more efficient path to studying the compound's analgesic properties and developing derived pharmaceuticals.

The big picture

Mitragynine's complex chemical structure has made it challenging and expensive to synthesize in the laboratory. This new synthesis is described by the authors as the shortest preparation of (+)-mitragynine to date, which could enable pharmaceutical researchers to produce the compound more efficiently and study its opioid receptor interactions without relying on kratom plant material.

Key findings

• A team from multiple research institutions published a synthesis of (+)-mitragynine completing in seven linear steps from commercial starting materials
• The synthesis is described as the shortest preparation of (+)-mitragynine reported to date
• A key step uses an oxidative cyclization reaction that contributes to the convergency and efficiency of the synthesis
• (+)-Mitragynine is the enantiomer of the primary analgesic alkaloid naturally found in Mitragyna speciosa (kratom)
• The work was published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry and made available online May 4, 2026

What they say

The authors describe "a concise total synthesis of (+)-mitragynine" that "proceeds in a linear sequence of seven steps from commercial starting materials and constitutes the shortest preparation of (+)-mitragynine to date," with "an interesting oxidative cyclization" contributing to the synthesis efficiency.

Bottom line

A landmark 7-step total synthesis of (+)-mitragynine gives researchers a streamlined tool to produce and study kratom's primary alkaloid, potentially accelerating non-opioid pain drug development.