A newly published full-text open access letter covers this important topic.
Here are a few of the key points made by the authors.
Mitragyna speciose, known as “Kratom” has a major alkaloid, mitragynine, and the metabolite 7-hydroxymitragynine.
In leaf products (powders, etc.) these are typically 1-2% of the total content.
Properties of 7-hydroxymitragynine include that it:
- Is a partial mu opioid receptor agonist, with receptor binding affinity 14-22 times higher than morphine
- Dose-dependently substitutes for morphine
Makers are now offering novel semi-synthetic products containing up to 98% of 7-hydroxymitragynine plus other Kratom alkaloids.
The authors state, “Concerningly, some product formulations circumvent first-pass metabolism, increasing bioavailability.”
The authors also point out that product marketing and naming often fails to distinguish these products from simple “Kratom”.
They report,
Currently, 7-hydroxymitragynine products contain trace amounts of mitragynine and ‘new’ chemicals yet to be identified. The safety of these unknown chemicals, and of 7-hydroxymitragynine at high doses, has not been evaluated in living subjects.
The authors also discuss toxicology testing difficulties related to these products, and more.
It’s a brief and interesting read that I encourage everyone to check out.
Reference
Smith, K.E., Boyer, E.W., Grundmann, O., McCurdy, C.R. and Sharma, A. (2024), The rise of novel, semi-synthetic 7-hydroxymitragnine products. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16728
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