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Mitragyna speciosa

Mitragyna Speciosa: Taking the American Counterculture by Storm

Mitragyna Speciosa: Taking the American Counterculture by Storm

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August 15, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

Mitragyna Speciosa, A.K.A. Kratom, has almost become a staple in the American counterculture. Walk into any head shop, smoke shop, or locally owned convenience store and you are sure to find hidden behind the counter at least the Maeng Da strain, if you are lucky there will be a couple of others to choose from. Kratom was not widely known until the Food and Drug Administration decided to place kratom on the radar back in October 2016. The DEA blindsided consumers in August with a sudden announcement that it would make two compounds in kratom – mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine – Schedule I substances, effectively banning the plant with as little as 30 days’ notice. By doing so, the FDA only hindered their hopes of banning the beneficial herb due to an overwhelming outcry by the kratom community. 1

Never before has the FDA seen a public campaign of this nature. “Based on the response we’ve gotten over the last month or so, we believe it’s the prudent and reasonable action to take,” DEA spokesman Russ Baer says. “We want to make sure this is a transparent process. We want to have an open dialog with the public.”2 During the public comment period, well over 2,000 kratom advocates, who were greatly opposed to the ban called the FDA to share their concerns and personal success stories in hopes of overturning their decision to ban the supplement.  “That was eye-opening for me personally,” DEA spokesperson Melvin Patterson said to the Washington Post. “I want the kratom community to know that the DEA does hear them. Our goal is to make sure this is available to all of them.”3 Another spokesman for the FDA, Russ Baer, went on to say “They have claimed individually that kratom has given them medical value,” Baer says, “that it has medical utility ranging from migraine headaches to chronic pain, to Crohn’s disease, to anxiety, depression, opioid withdrawal – these are all conditions that medicines usually try to alleviate.”2 Even the President took notice when upset advocates flooded the White House with petitions urging Donald Trump to second guess the FDA’s hasty actions.4 Lawmakers throughout the United States also began signing legislature in hopes of gaining both public popularity and also voicing their opinions as kratom advocates, and users as well.

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Since the initial threat of a ban, Kratom sales have boosted throughout America both online and in the storefront. In August, when the threat of a ban loomed heavily on the kratom community, online stores experienced an overnight boom in sales leaving most vendors out of stock until things smoothed over. Many advocates, out of fear of losing access to the herb, began seeking sources outside the United States. Vendors in Indonesia began flooding Facebook groups in attempts to gain access to the Kratom community. Many offer the best strains, kilograms for under $70, and guaranteed shipment through customs. Canadian farms also became another source for many Kratom connoisseurs to purchase through. This left many buyers in outrage as their product was confiscated in route by customs, or they sent money via PayPal only to never hear from the seller again and be out large sums of money.

When researching Kratom use, or rise thereof, in the United States, I found little information on the exact number of users. In fact, since studies in general have rarely been conducted a search through Google only turned up minimal information. One thread on Reddit had this to say on use of kratom in America today, Reason I ask is that over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a variety of numbers from articles/posts stating hundreds to thousands. It’s hard to get a grasp on the size of the potential constituency unless we have an idea. From the DEA’s own intent letter, they mention 55,000kg being encountered by Law Enforcement in two years (2014-2016), or close to 12 million doses (their estimation). That number of just the encountered amount really seems high for hundreds or thousands of people. Makes me wonder if the Kratom community is much bigger than we even know.

I think it’s a point worth investigating. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them. This question could be helped by any vendors that have a raw count too. This information might be useful to the AKA.”5

Regardless of the number of users, it is safe to say that Mitragyna Speciosa has taken American counterculture by storm! Whether it is used to wean off narcotics, or to eliminate pain in chronic pain patients, or one of the other many beneficial reasons to take kratom, the fact cannot be denied that Americans love their kratom! And by the looks of it, it is luckily not leaving the scene anytime soon.

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Anti-inflammatory effects of Mitragyna speciosa

Anti-inflammatory effects of Mitragyna speciosa

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July 4, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

Inflammation is a response to pathogens, chemical, or based onneurogenic loops. The methanolic solution of Mitragyna speciosa has anti-inflammatory properties. Intraperitoneal administration of an M. speciosa extract was able to inhibit the development of a carrageenaninduced paw oedema with a maximal inhibition during first 3 h after the challenge. The solution may exert its anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the synthesis, release and action of a number of hyperalgesic mediators. Thereby, it suppresses the early phase of acute inflammation. Arachidonic acid and its metabolites can be responsible for the inhibitory activity of the extract for a period of 4 h. Daily administration of the M. speciosa extract was also able to inhibit the growth of granuloma tissue as characterized by proliferation of modified macrophages, fibroblasts and highly vascularized and reddened mass tissue. (Zurina, 2013)

Kratom leaf and Kratom extracts have been shown to mildly inhibit the body’s ability to feel pain, as well as having mild, anti-depressant, and muscle relaxant effects. The key word here, is mild. For most humans, the painkilling effect of Kratom was on par with over the counter medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.

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Side effects of Maend Da

From a practical standpoint, taking five grams of Kratom instead of a few hundred milligrams of aspirin, is not going to make sense for most people. If it simply possessed anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, nobody would be interested in Kratom.

Besides the aforementioned mild pain relief, it was noticed a slight opiate-style body high, and a very pronounced mood elevation. We would imagine that Kratom could successfully be used as an anti-depressant. It also has a stimulant effect that is unlike prescription opiates and generally the opposite of anti-depressants. At lower doses, I didn’t have the drowsy feeling that would normally accompany a traditional opiate-based painkiller.

From a practical standpoint, Kratom probably has very little potential as a “social” drug. Dumping a tablespoon of powder in your mouth isn’t really the same as passing a joint, and putting ten grams of powder into capsules can get time-consuming.

Some users have say that the pain relief allows them to train harder, heavier, and for longer. So anecdotally, we could say that a strong trend for the use of Kratom (as a painkiller) athletics…

With that in mind, Kratom has proven effective in alleviating withdrawal symptoms from central nervous system depressants like opiates and alcohol, and I would suspect that it has utility in treating addiction to painkillers also.

You could train using kratom, and you cannot notice any change in either soreness or recovery and it didn’t seem to have any effect on strength or stamina. This is partly why it’s gotten popular with athletes, because although it appears to work on the opioid receptors to dull pain, it doesn’t seem to negatively inhibit performance.

Despite its popularity, there are still some unanswered questions regarding its potential side-effects. Research in this area is lacking, although there strong evidence to suggest that case reports of negative effects have been greatly influenced by user polypharmacy (i.e. people damaging their bodies, or even dying with Kratom in their system, were almost always found with traces of something else in their system).

The spoil-sports over at the World Anti-Doping Agency have already placed Kratom on their monitoring list, and its use is banned in competition (its most logical use for performance enhancement). Naturally, it can be detected in urine, but a typical employer or sporting organization isn’t testing for it.

Unfortunately, the legal status of the herb is somewhat up in the air. The FDA has issued an import alert (meaning they’ll stop it at the border if anyone tries to bring it in), though it’s not illegal or banned per se.

On the state level, Tennessee, Vermont, New Jersey, and Wyoming have banned it’s sale, but that’s irrelevant if someone buys it online from another state. There is more restrictive legislation in the works, and a lobbying group has been started by Kratom sellers and enthusiasts to keep it (sort of) legal.

 

The various alkaloids that it contains and it complex interactions together promote these health benefits to its users. Some of the alkaloids which specifically help in giving the herb its anti-inflammatory properties are:

  • Epicatechin: Its antioxidant properties can promote overall health.  Its interactions with the lipid system can also improve longevity. Its physical performance benefits stem from its mitochondrial enhancement properties. Epicatechin promotes a lean body composition as well. Epicatechin can promote healthy visual and spatial memory by upregulating genes associated with learning.

It also has the following properties- Antioxidant, antihepatitic, antiaggregant, antiseptic, antidiuretic, anti-mutagenic, antiperoxidant, and antiviral.

  • Rhynchophylline: This anti-inflammatory alkaloid comprises of about 1% of the total alkaloid content of the leaf. It is rich in other properties like- Vasodilation, antiaggregant, antihypertensive, antipyretic, calcium channel blocker, anti-arrhythmic and anthelmintic.

 

References:

– http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/epicatechin.php

– Zurina, H., Mustapha, M., “From Kratom to mitragynine and its derivatives: Physiological and behavioural effects related to use, abuse, and addiction”, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 37,  pp. 138-151, 2013.

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19648761

Filed Under: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) Tagged With: kratom effects, Kratom Health, Mitragyna speciosa

Mitragyna Speciosa: Could This Be the Answer to America’s Opioid Epidemic?

Mitragyna Speciosa: Could This Be the Answer to America’s Opioid Epidemic?

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June 27, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

As the pharmaceutical companies continue to push narcotics onto Americans, the rate for addiction and death has almost tripled over the last decade. According to the World Drug Report in 2012, “It is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people abuse opioids worldwide,1 with an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance abuse disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012 and an estimated 467,000 addicted to heroin.”2 According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids rose from 28,647 in 2014 to 33,091 in 2015.3

  • Heroin overdose deaths rose from 10,574 in 2014 to 12,990 in 2015, an increase of 23 percent.
  • Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone rose from 5,544 in 2014 to 9,580 in 2015, an increase of 73 percent. This category of opioids is dominated by fentanyl-related overdoses, and recent research indicates the fentanyl involved in these deaths is illicitly manufactured, not from medications containing fentanyl.
  • Taken together, 19,885 Americans lost their lives in 2015 to deaths involving primarily illicit opioids: heroin, synthetic opioids other than methadone (e.g., fentanyl), or a mixture of the two.
  • Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids, excluding the category predominated by illicit fentanyl, rose only slightly from 16,941 in 2014 to 17,536 in 2015, a 4% increase.
  • NOTE: A portion of the overdose deaths involved both illicit opioids and prescription opioids.3 

   

       Fig.1

The total number of opioid pain relievers prescribed in the United States has skyrocketed in the past 25 years. The number of prescriptions for opioids (like hydrocodone and oxycodone products) have escalated from around 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, with the United States their biggest consumer globally, accounting for almost 100 percent of the world total for hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin) and 81 percent for oxycodone (e.g., Percocet).4

Recently, the DEA and FDA began working together to crack down on the amount of opiates distributed in America by physicians and pharmaceutical companies; such as hydrocodone, oxycontin and morphine. “Fourteen billion opioid pills are now dispensed annually in the United States – enough for every adult American to have a bottle of pills. Certainly, the pharmaceutical industry is at fault for decades of misleading information about their products and the medical community bears responsibility for its role in over-prescribing these dangerous and addictive drugs, but we remain deeply troubled by the sheer volume of opioids available – volumes that are approved by DEA.”5

Kratom Is a Surprising Answer to This Terrifying Dilemma

Kratom is neither a drug nor an opiate. It is a deciduous tree that grows natively in Southeast Asia and has been used for its healing properties for centuries. The leaves of the plant contain dozens of alkaloids that can produce both stimulation and sedation as well as euphoria in those that ingest it. 7-hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine are the most active alkaloids contained within the herb and are believed to be responsible for most of the effects that it produces.  Mitragynine (the most plentiful alkaloid) is an opioid agonist, meaning that it is drawn toward the opioid receptors in the brain. In the brain of an addict, those opiate receptors begin to ‘cry out’, so to speak, for that drug. Kratom’s unique alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine bind to those needy receptors and ease the withdrawal symptoms by tricking the brain into thinking it has found its fix.

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Side effects of Maend Da

A dose of Kratom can help to relieve the unpleasant side effects of the withdrawal by attaching its alkaloids to the delta-opioid receptors in the brain.  Although opiate drugs bind to the mu-opioid receptors, the mitragynine’s unique ability to attach to the delta receptors can relieve withdrawal symptoms without the risk of further dependency, thus alleviating these common withdrawal symptoms:

  • Anxiety
  • Muscle aches
  • Increased tearing
  • Insomnia
  • Runny nose
  • Sweating
  • Yawning
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Dilated pupils
  • Goose bumps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Agitation

The effects can be felt in as little as ten minutes and can last six hours or more, depending on the type of Kratom and how much was taken.  Kratom will not produce extremely strong euphoric feelings like opiates do, but it can soothe an opiate addiction successfully, and is a much safer and healthier alternative to methadone or suboxone.

All Kratom types affect the opioid receptors in some way and can provide relief from withdrawal symptoms.  The most popular choice for addicts are the red vein strains due to their sedating and strong pain-relieving qualities. At high doses, almost any type of Kratom will provide sedation, however the red strains are generally better suited for withdrawal symptoms.  White vein Thai, Red vein Borneo, Red vein Thai and Red vein Malay are all popular strains for this purpose.7

When using Kratom for opiate withdrawals, it is important to remember to monitor your dosing closely. Using Kratom for this purpose will require a higher dose than someone who was just using it to enhance their mood or treat mild pain.  While Kratom is not addictive, it can be habit forming.  In larger quantities, kratom can cause ill effects; such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. Do not use more than recommended. Below is the general Kratom dosing guide.  Most Kratom users reach their desired effects in the mild and moderate ranges, however a heavy opiate user may need to use doses in the strong and very strong range to ease their withdrawals.  This, of course, is determined by the quantity and type of narcotics the person is used to consuming, their body composition, the strain of Kratom and other unique variables.  It is always safest to use the smallest amount of Kratom to ease your symptoms.  As time passes, you can lower your dose and use Kratom more sporadically.7

Strength Dose Effect
     
Threshold
1-3 grams
subtle
Mild 2-4 grams stimulant-like
Moderate 3-6 grams stimulant or sedative-like
Strong 6-10 grams more sedative/euphoric
Very Strong 8-15 grams very sedative/euphoric

The above table represents an ‘average’ amongst Kratom users and should only be used as a guide. Results vary from person to person and from plant to plant based on many factors8

[1]https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opiods-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse.html

[2]UNODC, World Drug Report 2012. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WdR-2012.htm[3] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/08/continued-rise-opioid-overdose-deaths-2015-shows-urgent-need-treatment

[4]International Narcotics Control Board Report 2008.United Nations Pubns. 2009. Pg.20

[5]https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2016/10/4/dea-cutting-opioid-supply-in-2017

[6] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000949.htm

[7] http://kratomrevealed.com/kratom-for-opiate-withdrawal-definitive-guide/

Other articles that may interest you

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Kratom Usage
  • Kratom Maeng Da: An Extended research of user’s experiences

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White Vein Thai Kratom

White Vein Thai Kratom

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February 21, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Of all different kratom varieties, white vein kratom is the most unique. This vein type has some of the most energetic strains of all and tend to be used in the mornings, or in draining situations where fatigue would be otherwise inevitable. However, while energetic, they overall tend to have less painkilling, analgesic properties than green and red vein strains.
Because of this, they have a very unique niche, and not everyone is suited for them. For those who haven’t tried this variety of kratom, there is a lot of potential within these strains, and shouldn’t be overlooked in favor of some other, heavier strain — sometimes the clean boost of white veins can be just what is needed.

White Vein Thai Effects

As briefly mentioned, the effects of this variety of kratom are unique in comparison to other vein types. The most common effects of white vein kratom are stimulation/energy, nootropic (cognitive boosting), endurance, and it has even been used for depression.

Stimulation, Energy and Endurance

One of the most common reasons that white vein kratom is used is for a clean pick-me-up. If you read through kratom forums, you’ll find many people who have replaced their morning coffee with a white with great effect. The energy that is provided from these strains tends to be much cleaner than the jittery energy of caffeine and other stimulants. The reason for this is the balancing of energetic and analgesic alkaloids, which also contribute to its endurance promoting effects by increasing energy and dampening the pain response.

Nootropic Effects

While not highly researched, many users of white vein kratom have experienced have experienced some unique cognition boosting effects. A few users have reported increased memory recall, but the most common effect reported has been increased focus. Many suspect the reason for this is the synergy between its energetic and analgesic effects, which appear to dampen background noise and promote natural focus. Because research in this area is so limited, it may be a while until we can delve more deeply into these areas.

Anti-Depressant

Similar to the nootropic effects, the anecdotal antidepressant effects of white vein kratom haven’t been researched much; however, user experiences across the board find that it is useful in this regard; however, whether it is useful for depression long-term is difficult to say at this point.

Alkaloids

The reason for different effects between white an red vein strains is their differing alkaloid profiles. Thanks to Raymond-Hamet, Beckett AH, Shellard EJ, Lee CM and Phillipson JD, we have some preliminary studies about alkaloidal differences between strains grown in different regions, and what alkaloids contribute to their effects.

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Sadly, there haven’t yet been any serious studies on vein type and alkaloid profile, but differences in effect seem to indicate similarities between strain alkaloid variation and vein type variation. Because of this, we have a much better idea of what alkaloids are found in this vein type, though it is far from complete and can vary depending upon what vendor or area you buy kratom from.

In this variety of kratom, we can expect to see a proportionally higher amount of mitragynine, and a lower amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine than is found in red vein strains, contributing to the energetic effects and reducing the painkilling effect. Additionally, we will likely see less speciogynine (a smooth muscle relaxer) and less ajmalicine (a anti-adrenergic sedative) than is found in red and green vein strains. Because this is far from complete, we will likely see a large number of other variations between different vein types.

Variability of White Vein

After years of previously selling kratom, we have noticed something that very interesting about this type of kratom: people tend to love them or get little to no effect from them at all. With other varieties, such as red veins, the effect from person to person is fairly even across the board, whereas white veined strains tend to play at brain chemistry in a very different way. Because of this, not every person may be particularly suited for them. However, like any other good thing, it is typically worth a shot, as the effects can be very helpful, and useful.

Additionally, white vein kratom dosage may be different than that of other strains, some who are sensitive to the effects may require less, whereas those who are less sensitive may require more. Because of this, it is a good idea to monitor dosage and start low if interested in this variety of kratom.

Popular Strains

Because white veined strains are found in all different regions and strains, there are a variety of different effects on can encounter depending on their choice. Some of the most popular are:

White Vein Borneo

As Borneo strains are typically more sedative in character than many other strains, this variety of borneo has a variety of properties unique to it. Anyone who has tried this variety knows that it tends to provide both energy and analgesia, given it is of sufficient potency. This blending of effects makes it very useful for those who require pain relief or anxiety relief, but don’t want to sacrifice performance or energy in order to achieve it. White vein borneo kratom is similar to Indo in this regard, and they share these common characteristics. However, each particular borneo and indo strain is different, so the effects can vary slightly.

White Vein Thai

Another common strain is white vein thai. The white veined varieties of kratom, on top of the already energetic effect of thai, can be a bit jittery for those who aren’t used to the sedation, but can also be highly effective for tedious work or jobs requiring a lot of energy. Sadly, the painkilling effects of this strain are not very pronounced. White vein maeng da is very similar to thai, however, it tends to have slightly more analgesic effect. However, this depends upon each individual plant and strain.

White veined kratom is one of the most unique of all strains and carries with it a variety of unique properties, which have given a broad range of good experiences. However, not everyone is affected the same way, so it may take some trial and error to find the ideal choice for yourself.

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Red Vein Thai Kratom

Red Vein Thai Kratom

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February 19, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Red Vein Thai Kratom products all share one common characteristic: they come from trees that have leaves with reddish stems and veins. The color of the stringy central vein is determined by the presence of different chemicals in the tree. Some of these differences may be genetic and based on the species of tree that the leaves are taken from. Several Kratom farmers have states that red veined plants are more resilient and have a higher yield in Southeast Asian climates. However, there are also reports that different colored veins occur in the same tree at different stages in the lifecycle. The red veining may be more common in younger trees that are more vulnerable to attack from insects. Another theory states that the different vein colors emerge throughout the year depending on external conditions like temperature and weather.

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In the past, Kratom leaf pickers would separate the leaves based on their vein color because they found that there were consistent differences in the effects that correlated to vein coloration. In general, red vein capsules and powders are seen as being best for relaxation, replacement of pain medications, and as mood enhancers. These distinctions should be viewed as loose characterizations instead of hard and fast rules for how Red Vein Kratom will affect you; slight changes in method of consumption, product potency, individual biochemistry and metabolism can all alter your experience when taking this herb. It is also common these days to mix different strains like Red Thai and Green Thai together to achieve a synergistic and balanced effect.

More information about strain types can be found here>>

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Mitragyna Speciosa Korth Alkaloid Extract And Cytotoxicity Biology

Mitragyna Speciosa Korth Alkaloid Extract And Cytotoxicity Biology

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February 11, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Mitragyna Speciosa Korth Alkaloid Extract And Cytotoxicity Biology Essay

This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers.

Nonstandard abbreviations: MSE, Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract, DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; HEK293, human embryonic kidney cells; HepG2, human hepatocellular carcinoma cells; HCT116, colon carcinoma cells; SH-SY5Y, neuroblastoma cells; A498, renal cell carcinoma; SK-MEL-28, melanoma cells; MEM, Eagle’s Medium Essential Medium; FBS, fetus bovine serum; DMEM, dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium; IC50, half maximal inhibitory concentration .

Mitragyna speciosa has great potential to be used as opium substitute and treating opioid abstinence syndrom > Cytotoxicity of the methanolic extract was examined using XTT assay against 6 human cancer cell lines > Tested with 10 concentrations of plant extract from 0.05 to 300µg/ml > Acute and Chronic in vitro study > Acute dermatoxicity, chronic and moderate hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity were reported.

Abstract:

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa Korth, has been reported as a mu- and delta- opiate receptor agonist producing similar effects as those produced by morphine. It has been traditionally utilized as an opium substitute or to alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms. In spite of its relatively common usage, toxicological data of this plant is still lacking.

Aim: The aim of the study is to determine the acute and chronic cytotoxicity of Mitragyna speciosa Korth alkaloid extract in vitro in various human cancer cell lines.

Methodology: Cells were treated with 0.05 to 300µg/ml of Mitragyna speciosa Korth alkaloid extract. The effect of the alkaloid extract on proliferative responses of the cancer cell lines were assessed by cell proliferation cytotoxicity assay (XTT) after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Untreated cells were used as control.

Results and conclusion: Significant growth inhibitory activity of the alkaloid extract on cancer cell lines were noted. The Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract showed acute potential toxicity to the skin melonoma cells (SK-MEL-28) after 24 hours incubation with IC50 value of 16.15 ± 1.45µg/ml. Furthermore, moderate chronic hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, embryotoxicity and colon toxicity was reported in this study.

Key words: Mitragyna Speciosa, cytotoxicity, XTT, cancer cell lines, IC50.

Introduction

Mitragyna speciosa Kroth (from the Rubiaeceae family) is an indigenous plant which is found mainly in the northern Malaysia peninsula and in central and southern parts of Thailand (Suhanya et al., 2009). It is known as “Biak-biak” and “Ketum” in Malaysia, and as “Kratom” in Thailand (Saidin et al., 2008). The major indole-alkaloid constituent found in the Mitragyna speciosa is mitragynine, a mu- and delta-opioid receptor agonist. (Juzaili et al., 2010). Studies have shown the psychoactive properties of mitragynine is linked with it’s high affinity for opiate receptors, hence indicating it’s potential for treating opiate addiction as replacement therapy (Babu et al., 2008).

Traditionally, leaves from this plant have been consumed by the Thai and Malaysian natives mainly to treat diarrhoea, and to produce a stimulant and euphoric effect to combat fatigue and to increase tolerance to the hot sun (Kavita et al., 2008). Furthermore, the leaves have been reported to possess opium-like properties in which it’s stimulating effect was found in low dose. High doses of the Mitragyna speciosa extract can cause analgesia and hallucination (Suchitra et al., 1998). Due to its unique medicinal properties, kratom has been widely used to treat pain and opium withdrawal symptoms since the nineteenth century. However, addiction and several opioid abstinence syndrome such as irritability, yawning, rhinorrhoea, myalgias, diarrhoea, tremor, nausea, nystagmus, and arthralgia were reported among the chronic users (Kavita et al., 2008). Anorexia, weight loss, skin darkening and psychosis have also been reported (Suwanlert, 1975).

Although, the pharmacolofical effects of Kratom in human and experimental animals are well established, the doses required to produce toxicity still remain poorly defined. The only toxicological study by Harizal et al. (2010), standardized methanol extract of Mitragyna speciosa Korth caused mild nephrotoxicity and severe hepatotoxicity at doses higher than 1000 mg/kg (Harizal et al., 2010). No acute neurotoxicity effects were found in the cortex and hippocampus of the rat (Harizal et al., 2010).

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The issue of misuse of the plant by the drug addicts has caused major concerns in Malaysia and Thailand. Consequently, Kratom plant has been listed as a controlled substance in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. However, in other parts of the world, kratom is currently not strongly regulated. The availbility of kratom over the internet has caused significant drug abuse issue, such as self-treatment in opioid withdrawal and in chronic pain (Kavita et al., 2008; Somsmorn et al., 2008). The main objective of this study is to investigate the potential acute and chronic in vitro cytotoxicity of Mitragyna Speciosa Korth alkaloid extracts against different human cancer cell lines in order to estimate its potential toxicity to humans.

2. Methodology

2.1 Preparation of Mitragyna speciosa Korth alkaloid extract

Fresh leaves of Mitragyna Speciosa Korth were collected from the forest in Perlis, Malaysia. Methanol-chloroform extraction method was used to extract the alkaloid compounds. The leaves (5kg) were dried and soaked in methanol for 3 days. The methanol mixture was filtered and the filtrate evaporated using a rotary evaporator. The extraction and evaporation procedure was repeated three times. Following that, the crude methanol extract was re-dissolved in 10% acetic acid and then washed with hexane. The acidic layer was basified to pH 9 using ammonia hydroxide and extracted with chloroform. The collected organic layer was filtered through sodium sulphate anhydrous and the filtrate was extracted using a rotary evaporator to obtain 5.86g of crude alkaloid extract. The akaloid extract was then identified using Dragendorf test (Juzaili et al., 2010). Lastly, the extract was redissolved in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) to form the stock solution, following which, it was filtered using 0.2μm syringe filter before being tested on the different cell lines.

2.2 Cell Culture

The effect of alkaloid extract on cell viability was assessed in a cell culture system using cells from human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293), human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), colon carcinoma cells (HCT116), neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), renal cell carcinoma (A498) and melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28) which were obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ACTT) and Aurigene Accelerating Discovery Ltd, Bangalore, India. HepG2, A-498, and SK-MEL-28 cell lines were grown in Eagle’s Medium Essential Medium (MEM); with 10% fetus bovine serum (FBS) and supplmented with 1% of 100x penicillin-streptomycin antibiotic, 2mM glutamine, 1% non-essential amino acid and 1% sodium pyruvate. Meanwhile, HEK293 cell line was grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) with high glucose content (4.5gL1). SH-SY5Y cell line was cultured in 1:1 mixture of MEM and Ham’s F12 medium. HCT116 cell line was grown in McCoy’s 5a medium. The medium for cryopreservation contained 20% FBS and 5-8% DMSO in growth medium. All the cell lines were maintained at 370C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere with 95% humidity. At 60-70% confluence, cells were trypsinized and seeded in 96-well plates in respective optimal cell density. Twenty-four hours after the cell seeding, cells were treated with various concentrations of plant extracts.

2.3 cell proliferation (XTT) assays

The cell viability of the cancer cell lines were determined by using cell proliferation XTT assays in which the viable cells were determined by the amount of mitochondrial dehydogenases released in the living cells. Mitochondrial dehydrogenese of the variable cells cleave the tetrazolium ring of XTT (2,3-bis[2-Methoxy-4-intro-5-sulfophenyl]-2 H-tetrazolium-5-carboxyanilide inner salt) yielding orange formazan cystals which can be measured by a spectrophotometer (Scudiero, 1988; Weislow, 1989). An increase or decrease in living cell numbers result in a concomitant change in the amount of formazan formed, indicating the level of cytotoxicity caused by the plant extract. The cells were seeded into 96 wells plates in respective optimal cell density and incubated for 24 hours to get 70% confluent. Following that, cells were incubated with various concentrations of plant extract (0.05-300µg/ml) for 24 hours, after which, plant extract was removed from each well and then washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After incubation, for every 100µl of serum free medium, 50µl of XTT solution with phenazine methosulphate (PMS) was added, and incubated for a further 4 hours at 37oC. The absorbance of the samples were checked at 465nm using fluorescence spectrophotometry. Untreated cells were used as control. Cell viability was determined after 24, 48 and 72 hours incubation time and defined as a percentage of cell survival (ratio of absorbance of treated cells to untreated cells). All data were recorded as mean ± SEM of triplicate measurements.

3. Results

3.1 Preparation of alkaloid extract

One kilogram of dried powdered mitragyna speciosa leaves (approximately 5kg of fresh leaves) gave a crude extracts of 105g methanolic extract. From the crude methanolic extract, 5.86g of alkaloid extract was obtained ( 0.12% yield of fresh leave weight). The amount of mitragynine exist in the alkaloid extract was approxiamately 22-24% (Juzaili et al., 2010)

3.2 Cytotoxic activity of Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extracts on cancer cell lines

The results depicted in Table 1, Figure 1 and 2 summarize the cytotoxic effects of the alkaloid extract on HepG2, A498, SK-MEL-28, HEK293 HCT116, and SH-SY5Y cell lines. Table 2 indicated the classification of cytotoxicity for natural products. Untreated cells were used as control. The IC50 results (mean ±SEM) are listed as the percentage of cell survival after exposure to different concentrations of MSE and determined at three incubation times. Based on the figure 1 results, XTT assay showed that alkaloid extract caused a significant cytotoxic effect from 0.05 to 300 µg/ml.

3.2.1 HCT116 cells

Within 24hrs, there was a clear dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation compared to the control (Fig. 2a) and the effect become pronounced at the doses higher than 11µg/ml. By 48 hrs, proliferation of cells treated with lower concentration of alkaloid extract (≤ 33µg/ml) has recovered. However, cell proliferation inhibition remained observed at other extract concentration. Approximately 100% of mortality rate was observed with highest concentration of alkaloid extract, 200 µg/ml. The IC50 for the cell at 24 and 72 hrs period were 62 and 43µg/ml respectively (Table 1).

3.2.2 HEK293 cells

With HEK293 cells, alkaloid extract of Mitragyna speciosa caused a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation at all incubation times. As with other cells, cell proliferation recovering was observed at lowest concentration after 48 hrs. At higher doses of extract (>33µg/ml), cell proliferation was inhibited. After 72 hrs, approximately 100% cells were dead at highest dose, >100µg/ml (Fig. 2b). The IC50 value in this cell was estimated as 46 µg/ml in 24 hr and 27 µg/ml in 72 hrs (Table 1).

3.2.3 SH-SY5Y cells

With SH-SY5Y cells, low doses of alkaloid extract (1.23 – 11.11 µg/ml) slightly increased the cell proliferation up to 48 hrs (Fig. 2c). However, higher doses (>33µg/ml) inhibited the cell growth substantially within 24 hrs. The IC50 of the cells after 24 and 72 hrs treatment were 66 and 34µg/ml, respectively (Table 1).

3.2.4 HepG2 cells

Alkaloid extract treated HepG2 cells had shown the same pattern of cell proliferation inhibition as other cell lines. At concentration higher than 33µg/ml, there was a prominent cell death throughout the experiment (Fig. 2d). Low or no inhibition was found at the two lowest dose. The IC50 for HepG2 cells at 24 and 72 hrs treatment were approximately 49 and 27µg/ml, respectively (Table 1).

3.2.5 SK-MEL-28 cells

For SK-MEL-28 cells, acute cytotoxicity was observed within 24 hrs treatment (Fig. 2e). Almost 100% of cell death was reported at 2 highest doses (100 and 200µg/ml). Low to moderate inhibition was noted at concentration lower than 33µg/ml. Simultaneously, cells were recovered at low concentration of extract. The IC50 for the cells was 16µg/ml approximately at all the time points (Table 1).

3.2.6 A498 cells

With A498 cells, dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation became prominent after 100 µg/ml (Fig 2f). Low or no inhibition of cell proliferation was observed at concentration lower than 33µg/ml. However, there was a sudden decreasing in cell proliferation after 48 hrs of high dose-treatment (100µg/ml). The IC50 reported in this cells were about 82 and 15µg/ml in 24 and 72 hrs treatment (Table 1).

DISCUSSION

The use of traditional medicines from natural products have become popular all over the world especially in the developing countries. Herbs were always presumed to be safe because of its “naturality”. However, as quoted famously by Paracelsus, “All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy”. Self medication among the user without knowing its toxicity and not being aware of the dose that is being consumed is extremely dangerous. On the other hand, most of herbal medicines are given without a proper prescription, high doses or in combination with other medications may cause toxic effects.

Various types of pharmacological benefit from Mitragyna speciosa had been reported. However, due to it morphine-like properties, it has been aggressively misused among the drug addicts as opium substitute or to alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms. Several countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Myammar and Australia have legislated this plant due to its narcotism. Even throught, the potential toxicity of the mitragyna speciosa is still remain unclear. Therefore, toxicological assessment of this alkaloid extract was investigated in this study. The alkaloid compounds were extracted using the methanol-chloroform extraction method. Previous studies have identified that mitragynine was the most abundant alkaloid found. It has been well established to possess morphine-like effects on in vitro and in vivo studies (Idid et al., 1998; Matsumoto et al., 1996). Other indole alkaloids such as speciofoline, rhychophylline, stipulatine, isomitraphylline and ajmalicine have also been isolated from the leaves as well (Beckett et al., 1965). Besides, there was an interesting finding in which another alkaloid compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine, had been reported to have a stronger analagesic effect and a potent gastrointestinal transit inhibition in the mice when compared to morphine (Matsumoto et al., 2004a, 2006b). Tolerance and morphine-like withdrawal symptoms by 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine have also been reported.

In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract was evaluated using several human cancer cell lines in vitro. Due to its fast, easy growing and other special mammlian characteristic, cancer cell lines were widely used as primary screening for the in vitro cytotoxicity. For example, HepG2 cells are the transfected cells which showing metabolic activities such as cytochrome P450s metabolism and hydroxylation (Wu et al., 2006). Besides, µ- and δ- types opiate binding side are presented on SH-SY5Y cells. HEK293 cells are the kidney embryonic cells which consist of many cell characteristics.

In addition, the use of the XTT assay greatly simplifies the procedure for measuring proliferation as compared to the MTT assay, whereby the solubilization step that is present in the MTT assay was avoided. There was a limitation to the high concentrations of Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract used since extremely high concentrations of Mitragyna speciosa interfered with assay fluoroscence measurement (Saidin et al., 2008). However, there was a dose dependant toxicity trend seen with the alkaloid extract at the doses of concentration ≤ 300µg/ml.

Regardless of incubation times, In vitro screening of alkaloid extract demonstrated that skin melanoma cell SK-MEL-28 was the most sensitive cell line examined. The IC50 after 24hrs treatment of SK-MEL-28 was 16.9µg/ml. Epidemiology study showed that darkening of the skin was found in chronic consumers the of Mitragyna speciosa extracts, but the mechanism remain unclear. However, most properly, it was caused by the dark pigment, melanin which produced by activation of melanocytes in response to the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) stimulation. MSH was released by pituatray gland as response to the mitragynine-estimulating corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) release from hypothalamus.

Apart from the acute cytotoxicity effects (24 hr treatment), another major finding in this study was the chronic cytotoxicity effects by Mitragyna speciosa extract as determined by 72 hrs treatment. Moderate cytotoxicity on kidney, liver, colon and nerve cancer cell lines were observed. However, cell proliferation was completely inhibited when treated with the dose ≥200µg/ml. There were some differences in the IC50 values for the HepG2, HEK293 and SH-SY5Y in this study from those of Saidin et al., (2008). The study of Saidin et al. (2008) showed that mitraynine was most toxic to SH-SY5Y and moderate cytotoxicity to HEK293 and HepG2. The IC50 results in Saidin’s study was relatively higher than the present study. Variation such as manner of preparation and extraction methods can also contributed to the data variability. Uncontrollable factors such as climate, growth and storage condition might affect the quality of the substrates as well (Akansha et al., 2008; Hanapi et al., 2010). Besides, the use of relative IC50 and absolute IC50 remain controversial among the researchers. Relative IC50 showed the concentration required to bring the curve down to the point half way of the maximum and minimum plateaus of the curve. Whilst, absolute IC50 is defined as the concentration required to give 50% of inhibition. However, relative IC50 was more commonly used compare to absolute IC50 because the potency of the drug is ignored in the determination of absolute IC50.

Harizal’s study showed that oral administration of standardized methanolic extract of Mitragyna speciosa resulted in severe hepatotoxicity and mild nephrotoxicity in high doses. This had been proven by histological and biochemical examination of Mitragyna speciosa extracts treated liver cells. Kupffer cells, enlargment of nucleus (karyomegaly), and significant elevation of ALT level was found (Harizal et al., 2010). Metabolic activation of xenobiotic was believed to be one of the factors that had caused the hepatotoxicity. Besides, consumption of the the Mitragyna speciosa extract by rodents has been found to cause an increase in blood pressure (Harizal et al., 2010). There is a likelihood that the effects produced are due to α2-adrenoceptor antagonists effect, which is the case with yohimbine (Verwaerde et al., 1997). On the other hand, in vivo acute treamtment of Mitragyna speciosa did not bring any damage in axons and dendrities of the hippocampal neurons (Harizal et al., 2010). High dose of administration among the chronic user are categorized as high risk user because of the drug tolerance and addiction effects.

It has been noticed that mitragynine is structurally similar to yohimbine, an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects which is found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe (from Rubiaeceae family) (Fig.3). Yohimbine is an α2-adrenoceptor antagonist which has been used to treat idiopathic and medication-induced erectile disorder (Benjamin et al., 2007). Several similarities in side effects mitragynine and yohimbine such as tremor, irritability, hallucination, dizziness, skin flushing, seizure and renal failure have been reported in the literature (Quinton, 1963; Eric et al., 1989; Lydia et al., 2001). An interesting antinociceptive study had demonstrated that pre-treatment of yohimbine completely blocked the opiate receptor agonist such as morphine (mu-opioid receptor agonist), U-50,488 (kappa- opioid receptor agonist) and SNC80 (delta- opioid receptor agonist) (lydia et al., 2001). Based on the chemical structure of yohimbine, ester group and hydroxy group at the C-17 position have the stronger affinity to the α2-adrenergic receptor, serotonin and dopamine receptor. Thus, this indicated that yohimbine have high potential to be competitive agonist to the opiate receptor. Minor differences in their chemical structures such as the molecular weight, polarity, indoloquinolizidine structure, total of rings, might given some changes in the pharmacological effects as well.

In conclusion, Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract showed most sensitive cytotoxic effect on skin melanoma cells after 24hr of drug treatment. Chronic and moderate cytotoxicity was reported in the human liver, kidney, colon and nerve cancer cells. This finding supports the result of the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects from in vivo study of Harizal et al. (2010). Futher studies on other active compounds in the alkaloid extract are necessary in order to identify the most toxic chemical components in the extract. Besides, metabolic activation, especially cytochrome P450 metabolism activation by the extract must be carried out in order to get a better understanding of the mechanism of toxicity.

Filed Under: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) Tagged With: akaloid extract, Kratom, kratom toxicity, Mitragyna speciosa, Preparation of Mitragyna speciosa Korth alkaloid extract

How to Make Kratom Soap

How to Make Kratom Soap

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January 31, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Kratom Soap Recipes

Cold Pressed Kratom Soap

soap made from kratom
In this recipe we are using the metric system and a scale. When making cold pressed soap, you will need to use accurate measurements to yield the best results. Making cold pressed soap is a bit more complicated than hand-milled or the “melt and pour” varieties, but if you have a little bit of time and patience, it can also be more rewarding. Natural cold pressed soaps are soft and have a creamy lather. The best thing about this soap is the natural ingredients, free of any unwanted additives.

Warning: One of the ingredients for this soap making process is Sodium Hydroxide or Lye, a strong alkaline and caustic substance. It is important to follow directions closely. You will be mixing lye with water during the first stage of the process. You must always add the lye to the water, never add water to lye. Have a bottle of vinegar or lemon juice on hand to neutralize the lye if you get it on your skin. Quickly splash skin with the vinegar or lemon. After neutralizing the lye, rinse the area thoroughly with plenty of running water. Call your local Poison Control Center, or for serious burns, seek medical treatment immediately.

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Things You Will Need:

A decent gram or high quality kitchen scale. Ounce scales can be used but, in my opinion, can be less accurate. If you have an ounce scale, you can convert the grams to ounces using this formula: oz = g ÷ 28.35

A work space. A clutter free table or counter in a room with plenty of ventilation. Lye will create fumes that can burn eyes and should not be inhaled. Working at a table outside would be even better, but you will need access to a stove for part of the process. Cover your table or counter with old news papers to protect it from spills. Lye will damage the surface if spilled.

Rubber gloves. Rubber gloves must be worn anytime you are handling the ingredients or the soap until the final stage.

Goggles. You will wear goggles for the first stage of the process to protect your eyes.

Protective clothing and an apron. It’s a good idea to where an old long sleeve shirt and long pants to protect your skin from possible spills or splashes. I recommend an apron as well. Be sure that your protective clothing is well fitted and does not hang or drag. This is to prevent spills.

Two candy thermometers.  These are to make sure your lye and water mixture, and your oils are at the same temperatures before mixing.  The long variety that can clip/hang to the side of the container or pot works the best.

A stainless steel cooking pot. The 8 quart variety is a good size. You can use an enamel coated pot, but aluminum pots will not work as they react with the lye.

A large heat proof stirring spoon. I recommend a slotted plastic or stainless steel spoon. Do not use an aluminum spoon because it reacts with the lye.

A large bowl or large measuring cup. This is to measure out your oils and should comfortably fit 500g. Should be glass or plastic.

A large glass measuring bowl/cup. This is for measuring your water and mixing your lye and water mixture.  This should be at least a 16 ounce glass or high heat plastic bowl. A Pyrex style 16 ounce measuring cup works well because of the lip on the side to make pouring liquids easier and more safe.

A measuring cup. This is to measure out your lye granules and should be big enough to comfortably fit 120g.  A 12 ounce glass or plastic measuring cup works well.

Two old towels. These are to insulate your soap in the second stage of the process.

Soap molds. Purchase soap molds from a craft or specialty soap store, or get creative and make your own. You can use old food containers, plastic cups, even glass containers.  Look for a shape or shapes that you find interesting and go with it. Just remember that the mouth of the container must be bigger than the bottom so that you can take the soap out of the mold easily. You can also use a larger square or rectangle shape to slice it into bars. Be creative when deciding on molds.

A small measuring spoon. This is to measure out essential oils to add fragrance to your soap.  I use a gram spoon that holds roughly 1 mL of essential oils.

Ingredients:

500 grams of Olive Oil. I like to use organic extra virgin olive oil.

300 grams of Coconut Oil. I like to use organic extra virgin coconut oil.

300 grams of water. This should be filtered or distilled.

117.5 grams of lye(sodium hydroxide) granules. You can find this at home improvement stores, but ensure purity, I suggest purchasing this from a specialty soap making store.

Roughly 50 grams of powdered kratom(mitragyna speciosa). Unlike the other ingredients, the weight of your kratom powder does not have to be exact. Your kratom powder should be fresh, clean, and potent for best results. Vibrant greens add a lovely color to the soap and contains more chlorophyll, which is said to have detoxifying benefits.

Essential oils. These are for adding fragrance to your soap and can offer benefits of aromatherapy. You can often find essential oils at natural food stores, craft stores, or specialty soap stores.  I sometimes like to use natural plant based fragrance oils, but I always suggest staying away from synthetic fragrances.

Directions:

Begin by gathering all your supplies and ingredients. Have your 50 grams of kratom power ready and your essential oils close by.

Put on your protective clothing, goggles, gloves, and if desired, your apron.

Measure out your coconut and olive oil using your large glass or plastic bowl and your scale.  Remember to account for the weight of the bowl.  To do this, place the empty bowl on your scale and press “tare” (or sometimes “calibrate”) button to make the weight of the bowl show as 0.  If you do not have a “tare” button, just place the bowl on the scale and adjust your scale to 0.  Measure out 5oo grams of olive oil and 300 grams of coconut oil and pour the oils into your big cooking pot. Place the pot of oils on the stove, but leave the stove off for now.

To mix the lye and water, you need to be in a well ventilated area, or do this part outside. Measure out your 300 grams of filtered or distilled water in the large 16 ounce bowl. Remember again to tare the scale, to account for the weight of the new, larger bowl. Next, and very carefully, weigh out your lye granules, again take account of the measuring cup. Next, slowly and carefully pour the granules into the bowl of water. Use your spoon to slowly stir and dissolve the granules in the water. Continue to stir until the granules are completely dissolved. The mixture will become very hot. Be very careful to avoid breathing any fumes and avoid any spills.

At this time, you will turn on your stove and gently warm up your oils. Add the thermometer to your warming oils. Also, now is the time to add the other thermometer to the lye/water mixture. The lye should be cooling down slowly while your oils slowly rise in temperature. The goal here is to coordinate both the two temps. The lye/water should cool to around 110°F, and the oils should heat up to around 110°F. You can raise the oil temperature to about 115°F as it will cool slightly when you remove it from the heat. Then use pot holders to take your pot of oils outside (or to a ventilated area) and allow them to cool to about 110°F. The two temps, for both the oils and the lye mixtures, do not have to match exactly, but should not be more than 5 degrees apart and neither temp should fall below 99°F. When the two temperatures are matching, slowly pour the lye mixture into the pot of oils in a slow, steady stream, while stirring the oils. Be very careful to avoid any spills.

Now is the hard part, patience is required. Continuously stir the mixture. You want to stir fairly vigorously, but not so much that you are creating splashes or bubbles in the mixture. The goal here is to stir until saponification happens. This may take 15 minutes, or it may take an hour, sometimes longer. Just keep stirring and stirring. You will know when your soap mixture is ready when you see “tracing”. This is when you run your spoon through the mixture and it leaves a trace lasting a few seconds. The mixture at this point should be like a thick soup. When your mixture is in the tracing stage add in your 50 grams of kratom powder and use your measuring spoon to measure out 10 mL or more of your choice of essential oils and add them to the soap mixture.

At this point, still wearing your gloves, pour the mixture into your molds. Place your filled molds in a place where they will not be disturbed for roughly 48 hours. Cover your filled molds with your old towels to insulate them and slow the cooling process. This cooling stage is stage two of the soap making process.

In 48 hours, your soap will have sufficiently cooled and will be solid, but it will still be quite soft. It is time for the third stage of the process, the curing stage. Take your soaps out of the molds. If you are cutting bars, now is the time to cut them, but you still need to wear gloves at this point because this soap not yet finished and can still possibly cause burns to the skin. Store your soaps in a cool, dry place for 5 weeks. This is really your patience is required. Every couple weeks you check on your soap and with a damp cloth, wipe away any soda ash that develops on your soap. This is a harmless white ashy substance that can develop during the curing process and does not effect the final product.

After the 5 week curing stage, your kratom soap should be ready to use. Time to enjoy your kratom soap!

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Filed Under: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) Tagged With: how to make kratom soap, Kratom, Kratom Soap, Mitragyna speciosa

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