Kratom is currently legal in America but it has an uncertain regulatory future and is a gray market product. Physiological effects of kratom are being studied, prior reports attribute effects to mitragynine, the major active alkaloid in kratom, and its binding to an opioid receptor. However, another alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine present in leaves at a lower concentration also interacts with that receptor.
In this study scientists investigated pharmacological and metabolic mechanism behind its analgesic effects, most of which were shown to be from alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine through mice and cell studies; metabolism of mitragynine in mouse and human liver preparations was found to produce more 7-OH than naturally present in kratom.
According to the scientists their findings provide greater understanding to some of the contradictory reports, however more research is needed to determine whether results can be replicated in humans.
