Mitragyna speciosa, also known as Kratum or Kratom is basically a tropical deciduous evergreen tree within the coffee family. It is native to countries in the Southeast Asian area, particularly in Malaysian and Indonesian floristic regions. The leaves of mitragyna speciosa have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries in these regions. Originally, the leaves were chewed recreationally by people, mostly peasant workers to help improve mood and productivity
Naturally-Growing Tree
In Thailand, Kratom grows naturally and its aboriginal nature was first traced back to the country. However, kratom has been forbidden by law for about 70 years in Thailand. The banning of kratom in Thailand was attributed to lost tax revenues on the opium trade rather than the safety/tolerability of the plant.
Typically, the kratom tree grows up to 30 feet (9.1m) in height and 15 feet (4.6m) in width. Some species could reach up to 70 feet (21m) tall. The tree could be deciduous or evergreen, largely depending on the environment and climate. The stems are branching and erect at the same time.
Kratom Leaves
The active drug ingredients of kratom known as alkaloids, are derived from the tree’s leaves, which are dark green in color that can grow more than 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Kratom leaves have an ovate-acuminate shape with opposite growth patterns. The leaves are also elliptic with a heart-shaped base, including 2 to 4 centimeter long petioles. The tree’s flowers are round and yellow, growing in clusters at the end of branches.
Present Compounds in Kratom Leaves
There are over 40 currently known alkaloid compounds found in Kratom leaves, including several alkaloids like the 7-hydroxymitragynine, which are considered the most active chemicals within the leaves. Other active alkaloids include: mitragynine, mitraphylline, and mitragynine pseudo indoxyl. Other active chemicals found in Kratom include raubasine and corynanthidine's, which are both Yohimbe alkaloids.
The leaves also contain rhynchophylline, an alkaloid and a calcium-channel blocker, which is also capable of reducing NMDA-induced currents. However, the amounts of mitragynine largely depend on several factors like the tree’s location, strain and age. Trees that are grown in Southeast Asian regions are more likely to contain higher amounts of mitragynine due to the specific climate conditions of the region.
Chemical Structure
The fundamental structure and Chemistry of Kratom integrates the nucleus of tryptamine, which could be responsible for the molecules observed in adrenergic and serotonin systems. The phenolic methyl ether in mitragynine is regarded as the strongest within analgesic paradigms based on some research studies. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics in humans have not been studied very well up to this time leaving researches with little data on the sudbject. The various aspects like: half-life, the protein-binding property of mitragynine and other properties like the metabolism or elimination are yet to be well-studied.
Conclusion
Over and above, there are still challenges regarding the use, safety, and effects of Kratom. Scientists, however, are eager to study the complex compounds found in the Kratom leaves so as to identify further and provide more accurate answers to questions that involve Kratom’s safety, potency, and effectiveness.
The post Description and Chemistry of Kratom appeared first on Kratom Crazy.