2-paragraph summary at 6th grade reading level:

This study looked at the different amounts of a chemical called mitragynine that is found in kratom plants growing in different parts of Thailand. Kratom is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. The researchers collected kratom leaves from plants in four different regions of Thailand – the north, northeast, central, and south. They measured how much mitragynine was in the leaves. They also looked at things like the size of the trees, the leaves, and the environment around the trees.

The researchers found that the amount of mitragynine in the kratom leaves varied quite a bit, from 7.5 to 26.6 milligrams per gram of dried leaves. The highest amounts were found in the central and southern regions of Thailand. Factors like the amount of light, humidity, and calcium in the soil seemed to affect how much mitragynine was in the leaves.

This study was done in the real world, not in a lab. The researchers collected samples from kratom trees growing naturally in different regions of Thailand.

This was an observational study, not one done on animals or humans. The researchers looked at the kratom plants themselves and the environment they were growing in.

Key takeaways:

• Mitragynine content in kratom leaves varies widely, from 7.5 to 26.6 mg/g dry weight
• The highest mitragynine levels were found in the central and southern regions of Thailand
• Environmental factors like light, humidity, soil moisture, and calcium content affected mitragynine levels
• This was an observational study on naturally growing kratom plants, not a lab or animal study
• The findings can help identify the best environmental conditions for growing kratom with high mitragynine content

For further reading:

Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1028547/full

Full Citation:

Leksungnoen, N., Andriyas, T., Ngernsaengsaruay, C., Uthairatsamee, S., Racharak, P., Sonjaroon, W., Kjelgren, R., Pearson, B.J., McCurdy, C.R. and Sharma, A. (2022). Variations in mitragynine content in the naturally growing Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) population of Thailand. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, p.1028547.