New mitragyna speciosa research paper

Thai researchers published a paper on kratom in the Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology. There are also library listings for this paper. They specifically study methanol extracts of mitragyna speciosa showing that the methanol extract of kratom and the alkaloidal extract of kratom both have analgesic effects in mice. They calculated the 50% lethal dose (LD50) of these extracts, which were 4.90 g/kg for the methanol extract and 173.20 mg/kg for the alkaloidal extract. They conclude that there are little or no behavioral effects caused by the mitragyna speciosa

This can function as a replication of the analgesic action of mitragyna speciosa, but I believe the action of mitragyna speciosa has already been replicated several times. I get the impression that these researchers made some mistakes with their alkaloidal extract, perhaps not having the right proportion of 7-hydroxymitragynine involved which compromises their results.

Regarding Kratom

Kratom is the leaf of a tree from Southeast Asia. It is both a stimulant and an opiate, often consumed as a tea. As an opiate, it is about as strong as hydrocodone or vicodin. It is delicious when sweetened with ample sugar and it is good for your health just like green tea because 8 ounces of properly prepared kratom contains an ungodly amount of anti-oxidants [1]. The FDA classifies kratom as neither a food, drug, or herbal supplement which puts it in a weird legal no mans land. This is why most vendors sell it as an incense strictly "not for human consumption." One of the active alkaloids of kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is an incredibly strong opiate, 17 times as strong as morphine by weight [2]. Kratom has been further tested as a drug on your average variety of small mammals. In this study on guinea pigs and mice, they didn't get the 17x stronger than morphine number but they did conclude that 7-hydroxy-mitragynine is a dose dependant antinociceptive that is stronger than morphine [3]. They do a follow up study demonstrating cross tolerance with morphine. [4]

Cheap 7-hydroxy-mitragyine could certainly be a public health problem on the order of heroin but it is unlikely to become available on the street in pure form and the plant form is not a dangerous narcotic because it is impossible to ingest it in large volumes. Erowid [5] is the authoritative list of studies [6] on the subject of kratom. You can read more than 50 personal experiences with kratom, mostly with regards to it as a recreational drug though some individuals there use it as a substitute for traditional opiates or to potentiate other drugs. Most of the negative experiences can be attributed to people incorrectly consuming kratom [7]. Kratom is properly consumed as a tea with lots of sugar or other sweetener and the extra kratom powder filtered out with a french press.

Kratom is completely legal everywhere except some of its native Southeast Asia: Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia, and Australia [8].

[1] See the alkaloids of Cats Claw and kratom

[2] Indole Alkaloids of a Thai Medicinal Herb, Mitragyna speciosa, that has Opioid Agonistic Effect in Guinea-Pig Ileum

[3] Antinociceptive effect of 7-hydroxymitragynine in mice: Discovery of an orally active opioid analgesic from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa

[4] Antinociception, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms induced by 7-hydroxymitragynine, an alkaloid from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa

[5] Erowid Kratom Vault

[6] Kratom References

[7] Kratom Experiences

[8] DEA: Drugs and chemicals of concern (Kratom)