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Preclinical Antidepressant-Like Effects of Terpenes, Polyphenolics, and Other Non-Flavonoid Phytochemicals
Published in Scott Mendelson, Herbal Treatment of Major Depression, 2019
Mitragynine is a complex indole alkaloid extracted from Mitragyna speciosa Korth. This plant from Southeast Asia is more commonly known as kratom. Mitragynine acts, at least in part, as a μ-opioid receptor agonist.132 However, there is also evidence of monoaminergic effects.133 The leaves of Mitragyna speciose are commonly used to treat pain and as a minor stimulant among natives of Thailand and surrounding areas. More recently it has been used in treating opiate addiction.
The Worldwide Spread of ‘Herbal Highs’
Published in Ornella Corazza, Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, Handbook of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2018
Jessica Neicun, Darshan Singh, Eduardo Cinosi
In this chapter, we will present Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa korth.), a tropical medicinal tree from South-East Asia that is well-known for its manifold properties beyond its native geographical area. Kratom is nowadays used worldwide for a variety of purposes ranging from social and recreational use to self-treatment of common health disorders, such as chronic pain and psychological problems and for treating drug addiction, particularly opiate dependence.
Cannabis and addiction
Published in Betty Wedman-St. Louis, Cannabis, 2018
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an indigenous tree in Southeast Asia that has been used for hundreds of years to relieve pain and is increasingly used for self-management of opioid withdrawal in the United States [60]. The leaves can be eaten raw or crushed for brewing into a tea as well as made into capsules, tablets, and liquids. In low doses, kratom can be a stimulant to increase energy and sexual desire, but high doses have a sedative effect.
Long-Term Cognitive Effects of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Use
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2019
Darshan Singh, Suresh Narayanan, Christian P. Müller, Balasingam Vicknasingam, Murat Yücel, Eric Tatt Wei Ho, Zurina Hassan, Sharif Mahsufi Mansor
We investigated the extent to which consumption of kratom brewed tea affects cognition in a cohort of regular kratom users. Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) leaves have been used in rural areas of Malaysia to treat minor ailments and as a mild psychostimulant for enhancing work productivity (Singh, Narayanan, and Vicknasingam 2016). Despite the call for regulating kratom under the Control Substances Act (CSA) (Griffin and Webb 2017), there is a lack of data to show that kratom could affect cognition or cause adverse mental health effects as compared to opioids (Swogger and Walsh 2018). Our findings show that consumption of kratom brewed kratom tea, even at doses >3 glasses daily, or at 72.5 mg–74.9 mg doses of mitragynine, was not associated with significant cognitive impairments among regular kratom users. Based on the findings from this sample, consuming high doses of kratom does not appear to alter motor, memory, attention, and executive function in regular users. At least in this sample, kratom appears not to impair cognition as opiates do (Kamboj et al. 2005; Ornstein et al. 2000).
Severity of Pain and Sleep Problems during Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Cessation among Regular Kratom Users
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2018
Darshan Singh, Suresh Narayanan, Balasingam K. Vicknasingam, Walter C. Prozialeck, Surash Ramanathan, Hadzliana Zainal, Sabariah Noor Harun
Mitragyna speciosa (M. speciosa) Korth. from the Rubiaceae (coffee) family is a native tropical tree from Southeast Asia (Saingam et al. 2012; Singh, Narayanan, and Vicknasingam 2016; Singh et al. 2017). In Malaysia, M. speciosa leaves are known as ketum, and in Thailand as kratom. Since kratom is the term more widely used in the literature, we follow this convention. Kratom extracts are reported to have complex dose-dependent stimulant and opioid-like effects (Hassan et al. 2013; Warner, Kaufman, and Grundmann 2015). Nearly 40 alkaloids have been isolated from M. speciosa leaves (Adkins, Boyer, and McCurdy 2011). Mitragynine as the principal alkaloid and 7-hydroxymitargynine as the minor constituent are shown to have potent analgesic properties akin to opiates (Kruegel and Grundmann 2017).
Do you know about Kratom?
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2020
Ahmed Adel Eladely, Junaid Shahzad, Steven Lippmann
The pharmacologic effects of Mitragyna speciosa-leaf constituents are dose-dependent. Kratom induces effects similar to cocaine and/or morphine, partly dependent on dosage. Quantities of 1–5 g have long been ingested to combat fatigue. Higher dosages may induce opioid-like properties and/or stimulation [4]. It is utilized sometimes as an opiate substitute to diminish opiate withdrawal symptoms, as an analgesic agent, or as a sedative. It has been applied as antidiarrheal, anorectic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antileukemic, euphorigenic, and/or immunostimulant medication. Physically addictive, kratom has medicinal potential as an opioid substitute [1]. Antidepressant activity is suggested because of reduced corticosterone levels documented in animals [1].