Mitragynine

Mitragynine is an indole-based alkaloid and the most abundant active alkaloid in the Southeast Asian plant Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom. The total alkaloid concentration in dried leaves ranges from 0.5 to 1.5%. In Thai varieties, mitragynine is the most abundant component (up to 66% of total alkaloids) while 7-hydroxymitragynine is a minor constituent (up to 2% of total alkaloid content). In Malaysian kratom varieties, mitragynine is present at lower concentration (12% of total alkaloids). Such preparations are orally consumed and typically involve dried kratom leaves which are brewed into tea or ground and placed into capsules. Mitragynine consumption for medicinal and recreation purposes dates back centuries, although early use was primarily limited to Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand where the plant grows indigenously. Recently, mitragynine use has spread throughout Europe and the Americas as both a recreational and medicinal drug. While research into the effects of kratom have begun to emerge, investigations on the active compound mitragynine are less common. the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had stated that there were no approved clinical uses for kratom, and that there was no evidence that kratom was safe or effective for treating any condition. This reiterated the conclusion of an earlier report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA): , kratom had not been approved for any medical use. , the FDA had noted, in particular, that there had been no clinical trials to study safety and efficacy of kratom in the treatment of opioid addiction. , the United States Drug Enforcement Administration had, as well, stated, "There is no legitimate medical use for kratom". Mitragynine-containing kratom extracts, with their accompanying array of alkaloids and other natural products, have been used for their perceived pain-mitigation (i.e., antinociception) properties for at least a century.