Differentiation of Commercially Available Kratom by Purported Country of Origin using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Kratom is a plant material exhibiting both analgesic and stimulant effects and is also forensically relevant since it is abused as a "legal high." It is regulated in several countries but not scheduled in the United States at the federal level. This study used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure the concentrations of 13 elements in 19 kratom samples obtained from an online distributor selling kratom, from Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, for the purpose of using the elements to discriminate among purported country of origin, "suborigin," and strain. Analysis of variance revealed statistical differences in concentrations of elements from each group, while discriminant function analysis (using leave-one-out classification) successfully classified kratom samples by their purported country of origin (100%), "suborigin," (100%), and strain (86%). Our method illustrates the possibility of utilizing ICP-MS for determination of commercially available kratom samples by purported origin, "subororign," or by product line.