Kratom is a tropical tree that grows in Southeast Asia. The leaves of the kratom tree have been used for centuries as a traditional medicine. Kratom leaves can have both stimulant and pain-relieving effects. Recently, kratom has become popular as a recreational substance in many parts of the world. However, there are concerns about the safety of kratom, and some countries have banned its use.

This article discusses the challenges of analyzing the chemicals in kratom. The main active compounds in kratom are called alkaloids. There are over 40 known alkaloids in kratom, with the two most important ones being mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These alkaloids can be difficult to separate and identify using common laboratory techniques. The article reviews the different methods that have been used to extract and analyze the alkaloids in kratom, both from the plant material and in biological samples like blood and urine. The article is neutral and does not take a stance on whether kratom should be legal or not.

This study was done in a laboratory setting, reviewing the existing scientific literature on kratom analysis. It did not involve any experiments on animals or humans.

Key takeaways:

• Kratom contains over 40 alkaloids, with mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine being the most important.
• Extracting and analyzing these alkaloids is challenging due to their chemical properties.
• Various analytical techniques have been used, including chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• More research is needed on the stability and degradation of kratom alkaloids.
• The article provides a comprehensive review of the analytical challenges in studying kratom.

For further reading:

Link: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0021967323003205

Full Citation:

Citti, C., Lagan, A., Capriotti, A. L., Montone, C. M., & Cannazza, G. (2023). Kratom: The analytical challenge of an emerging herbal drug. Journal of Chromatography A, 1703, 464094