Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 73 in total

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  1. Jasim RK, Singh D, Gam LH
    Biotechnol Appl Biochem, 2023 Apr;70(2):707-715.
    PMID: 35931067 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2392
    Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) has been used traditionally in Southeast Asia for its therapeutic properties. The major alkaloid of kratom, mitragynine, binds to opioid receptors to give opioid-like effects that causes addiction. In our previous study, we have identified AZ122 as a unique biomarker in habitual or regular kratom users through analysis of their urinary protein profiles. We aimed to develop and validate a screening method by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of kratom habitual users. An ELISA approach was applied for the development of a screening method using urinary AZ122 as biomarker. Method validation was carried out using three quality control materials at different concentration of AZ122. The data was analyzed statistically using SPSS (Version 25). The ELISA was presented with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.9993. The repeatability and reproducibility were presented at CV <7%, while the accuracy ranged from 78 to 96% at various AZ112 concentrations. Upon testing on 176 male respondents (n = 88 regular kratom users and n = 88 healthy controls), the specificity and sensitivity of the assay were both 100%. The ELISA has been validated and can be potentially used as a reliable screening test for detection of kratom habitual users.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids*
  2. Lim KH, Kam TS
    Org. Lett., 2006 Apr 13;8(8):1733-5.
    PMID: 16597153
    [structure: see text] A new indole alkaloid, arboflorine, possessing a novel pentacyclic carbon skeleton and incorporating a third nitrogen atom was obtained from the Malayan Kopsia arborea. The structure was established by spectroscopic analysis, and a possible biogenetic pathway from a preakuammicine-type precursor is presented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemical synthesis*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry
  3. Tan YS, Ng MP, Tan CH, Tang WK, Sim KS, Yong KT, et al.
    J Nat Prod, 2024 Feb 23;87(2):286-296.
    PMID: 38284153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00960
    Nine new alkaloids, eugeniinalines A-H (1-8) and (+)-eburnamenine N-oxide (9), comprising one quinoline, six indole, and two isogranatanine alkaloids, were isolated from the stem-bark extract of the Malayan Leuconotis eugeniifolia. The structures and absolute configurations of these alkaloids were established based on the analysis of the spectroscopic data, GIAO NMR calculations, DP4+ probability analysis, TDDFT-ECD method, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Eugeniinaline A (1) represents a new pentacyclic quinoline alkaloid with a 6/6/5/6/7 ring system. Eugeniinaline G (7) and its seco-derivative, eugeniinaline H (8), were the first isogranatanine alkaloids isolated as natural products. The known alkaloids leucolusine (10) and melokhanine A (11) were found to be the same compound, based on comparison of the spectroscopic data of both compounds, with the absolute configuration of (7R, 20R, 21S). Eugeniinalines A and G (1 and 7) showed cytotoxic activity against the HT-29 cancer cell line with IC50 values of 7.1 and 7.2 μM, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry
  4. Liu S, Dang M, Lei Y, Ahmad SS, Khalid M, Kamal MA, et al.
    Curr Pharm Des, 2020;26(37):4808-4814.
    PMID: 32264807 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200407161842
    BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most well-known reason for disability in persons aged greater than 65 years worldwide. AD influences the part of the brain that controls cognitive and non-cognitive functions.

    OBJECTIVE: The study focuses on the screening of natural compounds for the inhibition of AChE and BuChE using a computational methodology.

    METHODS: We performed a docking-based virtual screening utilizing the 3D structure of AChE and BuChE to search for potential inhibitors for AD. In this work, a screened inhibitor Ajmalicine similarity search was carried out against a natural products database (Super Natural II). Lipinski rule of five was carried out and docking studies were performed between ligands and enzyme using 'Autodock4.2'.

    RESULTS: Two phytochemical compounds SN00288228 and SN00226692 were predicted for the inhibition of AChE and BuChE, respectively. The docking results revealed Ajmalicine, a prominent natural alkaloid, showing promising inhibitory potential against AChE and BuChE with the binding energy of -9.02 and -8.89 kcal/mole, respectively. However, SN00288228- AChE, and SN00226692-BuChE were found to have binding energy -9.88 and -9.54 kcal/mole, respectively. These selected phytochemical compounds showed better interactions in comparison to Ajmalicine with the target molecule.

    CONCLUSION: The current study verifies that SN00288228 and SN00226692 are more capable inhibitors of human AChE and BuChE as compared to Ajmalicine with reference to ΔG values.

    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids*
  5. Lee MJ, Ramanathan S, Mansor SM, Tan SC
    Anal Biochem, 2020 06 15;599:113733.
    PMID: 32302607 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2020.113733
    An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of mitragynine, other closely related Kratom alkaloids and metabolites was developed using polyclonal antibodies. Mitragynine was conjugated to a carrier protein, cationized-bovine serum albumin using Mannich reaction. The synthesized antigen was injected into rabbits to elicit specific polyclonal antibodies against mitragynine. An enzyme conjugate was synthesized for evaluating its performance with the antibodies produced. The assay had an IC50 of 7.3 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 15 ng/mL for mitragynine. Antibody produced have high affinity for mitragynine (100%), other closely related Kratom alkaloids such as paynantheine (54%), speciociliatine (63%), 7α-hydroxy-7H-mitragynine (83%) and cross-reacted with metabolites 9-O-demethyl mitragynine (79%), 16-carboxy mitragynine (103%), 9-O-demethyl mitragynine sulfate (263%), 9-O-demethyl mitragynine glucuronide (60%), 16-carboxy mitragynine glucuronide (60%), 9-O-demethyl-16-carboxy mitragynine sulfate (270%) and 17-O-demethyl-16,17-dihydro mitragynine glucuronide (34%). It showed cross-reactivity less than 0.01% to reserpine, codeine, morphine, caffeine, methadone, amphetamine, and cocaine. Ten-fold dilution urine was used in the assay to reduce the matrix effects. The recovery ranged from 83% to 112% with variation coefficients in intraday and interday less than 8% and 6%, respectively. The ELISA turned out to be a convenient tool to diagnose mitragynine, other closely related Kratom alkaloids and metabolites in human urine samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/urine*
  6. Sim YS, Chong ZY, Azizi J, Goh CF
    PMID: 35700649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123316
    Mitragynine is a promising candidate for pain relief and opiate replacement but the investigations for drug delivery are lacking. This study aims to investigate the potential of mitragynine to be delivered through the skin with an emphasis on developing and validating a gradient HPLC-UV analytical method to determine mitragynine in the samples collected during in vitro skin permeation studies. The optimised method involves a gradient elution using a C18 column with a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile and 0.1 %v/v of formic acid (0-1 min: 30:70 to 70:30 (v/v) and hold up to 4 min; 4-6 min: return to 30:70 (v/v) and hold up to 10 min) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. This method was validated based on the standards set by the International Council on Harmonisation guidelines. The method showed mitragynine elution at ∼ 4 min with adequate linearity (R2 ≥ 0.999 for concentration ranges of 0.5-10 and 10-175 μg/mL) and acceptable limits of detection and quantification at 0.47 and 1.43 μg/mL, respectively. The analytical performance is robust with excellent precision and accuracy. This method was used to evaluate the in vitro skin permeation of mitragynine (5 %w/v) from simple solvent systems over 48 hr. The results showed a cumulative amount of mitragynine permeated at ∼ 11 μg/cm2 for dimethyl sulfoxide and ∼ 4 μg/cm2 for propylene glycol. The study not only addressed the issues of the currently available HPLC-UV methods that limit the direct application but also affirmed the potential of mitragynine to be delivered through the skin.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids*
  7. Muhammad MT, Beniddir MA, Phongphane L, Abu Bakar MH, Hussin MH, Awang K, et al.
    Fitoterapia, 2024 Apr;174:105873.
    PMID: 38417682 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105873
    Diabetes mellitus stands as a metabolic ailment marked by heightened blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin secretion. The primary aims of this investigative inquiry encompassed the isolation of phytochemical components from the bark of Kopsia teoi, followed by the assessment of their α-amylase inhibition. The phytochemical composition of the K. teoi culminated in the discovery of a pair of new indole alkaloids; which are 16-epi-deacetylakuammiline N(4)-methylene chloride (akuammiline) (1), and N(1)-methoxycarbonyl-11-methoxy-12-hydroxy-Δ14-17-kopsinine (aspidofractinine) (2), together with five known compounds i.e. kopsiloscine G (aspidofractinine) (3), akuammidine (sarpagine) (4), leuconolam (aspidosperma) (5), N-methoxycarbonyl-12-methoxy-Δ16, 17-kopsinine (aspidofractinine) (6), and kopsininate (aspidofractinine) (7). All compounds were determined via spectroscopic analyses. The in vitro evaluation against α-amylase showed good inhibitory activities for compounds 5-7 with the inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 21.7 ± 1.2, 34.1 ± 0.1, and 30.0 ± 0.8 μM, respectively compared with the reference acarbose (IC50 = 34.4 ± 0.1 μM). The molecular docking outputs underscored the binding interactions of compounds 5-7 ranging from -8.1 to -8.8 kcal/mol with the binding sites of α-amylase. Consequently, the outcomes highlighted the anti-hyperglycemic attributes of isolates from K. teoi.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids*
  8. Ramanathan S, McCurdy CR
    Curr Opin Psychiatry, 2020 07;33(4):312-318.
    PMID: 32452943 DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000621
    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To inform readers about the increasingly popular Western dietary supplement, kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) and how the products are available in the Western world compared with traditional Southeast Asian use. Kratom has been traditionally used for increasing stamina of outdoor laborers (farmers), mood enhancement, pain, and opium addiction. Interestingly, kratom has been reported to have a paradoxical effect in that stimulant feelings, and sedative feelings can be obtained depending on the amount utilized. There are several biologically active alkaloids present in kratom.

    RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies have been focused on the interactions of mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid, and opioid-like effects. This has been driven by the harm that kratom products have produced in the Western world, in stark contrast to the lack of harm in Southeast Asian traditional use over centuries. Many users in the Western world ingest kratom for mood enhancement and/or to ween themselves from prescription or illicit opioids. Highly concentrated products and recreational use and misuse have resulted in individuals pushing doses to levels that have not been imagined or ever studied in animal, let alone humans.

    SUMMARY: Kratom, as a preparation and how it is utilized is different around the world.

    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology*
  9. BROWNE J
    Med J Malaya, 1956 Mar;10(3):262-3.
    PMID: 13347457
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/adverse effects*
  10. Veeramohan R, Zamani AI, Azizan KA, Goh HH, Aizat WM, Razak MFA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2023;18(3):e0283147.
    PMID: 36943850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283147
    The fresh leaves of Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil. have been traditionally consumed for centuries in Southeast Asia for its healing properties. Although the alkaloids of M. speciosa have been studied since the 1920s, comparative and systematic studies of metabolite composition based on different leaf maturity levels are still lacking. This study assessed the secondary metabolite composition in two different leaf stages (young and mature) of M. speciosa, using an untargeted liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-TOF-MS) metabolite profiling. The results revealed 86 putatively annotated metabolite features (RT:m/z value) comprising 63 alkaloids, 10 flavonoids, 6 terpenoids, 3 phenylpropanoids, and 1 of each carboxylic acid, glucoside, phenol, and phenolic aldehyde. The alkaloid features were further categorised into 14 subclasses, i.e., the most abundant class of secondary metabolites identified. As per previous reports, indole alkaloids are the most abundant alkaloid subclass in M. speciosa. The result of multivariate analysis (MVA) using principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear separation of 92.8% between the young and mature leaf samples, indicating a high variance in metabolite levels between them. Akuammidine, alstonine, tryptamine, and yohimbine were tentatively identified among the many new alkaloids reported in this study, depicting the diverse biological activities of M. speciosa. Besides delving into the knowledge of metabolite distribution in different leaf stages, these findings have extended the current alkaloid repository of M. speciosa for a better understanding of its pharmaceutical potential.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids*
  11. Parthasarathy S, Ramanathan S, Ismail S, Adenan MI, Mansor SM, Murugaiyah V
    Anal Bioanal Chem, 2010 Jul;397(5):2023-30.
    PMID: 20454783 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-010-3707-7
    A new solid phase extraction method for rapid high performance liquid chromatography-UV determination of mitragynine in plasma has been developed. Optimal separation was achieved with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-ammonium acetate buffer, 50 mM at pH 5.0 (50:50, v/v). The method had limits of detection and quantification of 0.025 and 0.050 microg/mL, respectively. The method was accurate and precise for the quantitative analysis of mitragynine in human and rat plasma with within-day and between-day accuracies between 84.0 and 109.6%, and their precision values were between 1.7 and 16.8%. Additional advantages over known methods are related to the solid phase extraction technique for sample preparation which yields a clean chromatogram, a short total analysis time, requires a smaller amount of plasma samples and has good assay sensitivity for bioanalytical application. The method was successfully applied in pharmacokinetic and stability studies of mitragynine. In the present study, mitragynine was found to be fairly stable during storage and sample preparation. The present study showed for the first time the detailed pharmacokinetic profiles of mitragynine. Following intravenous administration, mitragynine demonstrated a biphasic elimination from plasma. Oral absorption of the drug was slow, prolonged and was incomplete, with a calculated absolute oral bioavailability value of 3.03%. The variations observed in previous pharmacokinetic studies after oral administration of mitragynine could be attributed to its poor bioavailability rather than to the differences in assay method, metabolic saturation or mitragynine dose.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/administration & dosage; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/blood*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacokinetics
  12. Lim SH, Sim KM, Abdullah Z, Hiraku O, Hayashi M, Komiyama K, et al.
    J Nat Prod, 2007 Aug;70(8):1380-3.
    PMID: 17608533
    Four new indole alkaloids were obtained from two Kopsia species, 6-oxoleuconoxine (1) from the leaf extract of K. griffithii and kopsinitarine E (2), kopsijasminine (3), and kopsonoline (4) from the stem-bark extract of K. teoi. The structures of these alkaloids were determined using NMR and MS analysis. Kopsijasminine (3) showed moderate activity in reversing multidrug resistance in vincristine-resistant KB cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/isolation & purification*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry
  13. Philipp AA, Wissenbach DK, Weber AA, Zapp J, Maurer HH
    Anal Bioanal Chem, 2011 Mar;399(8):2747-53.
    PMID: 21249338 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-4660-9
    Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) is currently used as a drug of abuse. When monitoring its abuse in urine, several alkaloids and their metabolites must be considered. In former studies, mitragynine (MG), its diastereomer speciogynine (SG), and paynantheine and their metabolites could be identified in rat and human urine using LC-MS(n). In Kratom users' urines, besides MG and SG, further isomeric compounds were detected. To elucidate whether the MG and SG diastereomer speciociliatine (SC) and its metabolites represent further compounds, the phase I and II metabolites of SC were identified first in rat urine after the administration of the pure alkaloid. Then, the identified rat metabolites were screened for in the urine of Kratom users using the above-mentioned LC-MS(n) procedure. Considering the mass spectra and retention times, it could be confirmed that SC and its metabolites are so far the unidentified isomers in human urine. In conclusion, SC and its metabolites can be used as further markers for Kratom use, especially by consumption of raw material or products that contain a high amount of fruits of the Malaysian plant M. speciosa.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/metabolism; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/urine*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry
  14. Smith LC, Lin L, Hwang CS, Zhou B, Kubitz DM, Wang H, et al.
    Chem Res Toxicol, 2019 01 22;32(1):113-121.
    PMID: 30380840 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00218
    The leaves of the Mitragynine speciosia tree (also known as Kratom) have long been chewed, smoked, or brewed into a tea by people in Southeastern Asian countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand. Just this past year, the plant Kratom gained popularity in the United States as a "legal opioid" and scheduling it as a drug of abuse is currently pending. The primary alkaloid found in Kratom is a μ-opioid receptor agonist, mitragynine, whose structure contains a promising scaffold for immunopharmacological use. Although Kratom is regarded as a safe opioid alternative, here we report the LD50 values determined for its two main psychoactive alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, as comparable to heroin in mice when administered intravenously. Given Kratom's recent emergence in the U.S., there is currently no diagnostic test available for law enforcement or health professionals, so we sought to design such an assay. Mitragynine was used as a starting point for hapten design, resulting in a hapten with an ether linker extending from the C9 position of the alkaloid. Bacterial flagellin (FliC) was chosen as a carrier protein for active immunization in mice, yielding 32 potential monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for assay development. Antimitragynine mAbs in the range of micro- to nanomolar affinities were uncovered and their utility in producing a convenient lateral flow detection assay of human fluid samples was examined. Antibodies were screened for binding to mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and performance in lateral flow assays. Two monoclonal antibodies were subcloned and further purified with 93 and 362 nM affinity to mitragynine. Test strip assays were optimized with a detection cut off of 0.5 μg/mL for mitragynine in buffer and urine (reflecting projected clinically relevant levels of drug in urine), which could be beneficial to law enforcement agencies and health professionals as the opioid epidemic in America continues to evolve.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/administration & dosage; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/analysis*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/toxicity
  15. Prozialeck WC, Avery BA, Boyer EW, Grundmann O, Henningfield JE, Kruegel AC, et al.
    Int J Drug Policy, 2019 08;70:70-77.
    PMID: 31103778 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.05.003
    Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree-like plant indigenous to Southeast Asia. Its leaves, and the teas brewed from them have long been used by people in that region to stave off fatigue and to manage pain and opioid withdrawal. Evidence suggests kratom is being increasingly used by people in the United States and Europe for the self-management of opioid withdrawal and treatment of pain. Recent studies have confirmed that kratom and its chemical constituents have potentially useful pharmacological actions. However, there have also been increasing numbers of reports of adverse effects resulting from use of kratom products. In August 2016, the US Drug Enforcement Administration announced plans to classify kratom and its mitragynine constituents as Schedule I Controlled Substances, a move that triggered a massive response from pro-kratom advocates. The debate regarding the risks, and benefits and safety of kratom continues to intensify. Kratom proponents tout kratom as a safer and less addictive alternative to opioids for the management of pain and opioid addiction. The anti-kratom faction argues that kratom, itself, is a dangerous and addictive drug that ought to be banned. Given the widespread use of kratom and the extensive media attention it is receiving, it is important for physicians, scientists and policy makers to be knowledgeable about the subject. The purpose of this commentary is to update readers about recent developments and controversies in this rapidly evolving area. All of the authors are engaged in various aspects of kratom research and it is our intention to provide a fair and balanced overview that can form the basis for informed decisions on kratom policy. Our conclusions from these analyses are: (a) User reports and results of preclinical studies in animals strongly suggest that kratom and its main constituent alkaloid, mitragynine may have useful activity in alleviating pain and managing symptoms of opioid withdrawal, even though well-controlled clinical trials have yet to be done. (b) Even though kratom lacks many of the toxicities of classic opioids, there are legitimate concerns about the safety and lack of quality control of purported "kratom" products that are being sold in the US. (c) The issues regarding the safety and efficacy of kratom and its mitragynine constituent can only be resolved by additional research. Classification of the Mitragyna alkaloids as Schedule I controlled substances would substantially impede this important research on kratom.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/adverse effects*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/therapeutic use
  16. Lee MJ, Ramanathan S, Mansor SM, Yeong KY, Tan SC
    Anal Biochem, 2018 02 15;543:146-161.
    PMID: 29248503 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.12.021
    A method using solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to quantitatively detect mitragynine, 16-carboxy mitragynine, and 9-O-demethyl mitragynine in human urine samples was developed and validated. The relevant metabolites were identified using multiple reaction monitoring in positive ionization mode using nalorphine as an internal standard. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, recovery, linearity, and lower limit of quantitation. The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were found in the range of 83.6-117.5% with coefficient of variation less than 13%. The percentage of recovery for mitragynine, 16-carboxy mitragynine, and 9-O-demethyl mitragynine was within the range of 80.1-118.9%. The lower limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL for mitragynine, 2 ng/mL for 16-carboxy mitragynine, and 50 ng/mL for 9-O-demethyl mitragynine. The developed method was reproducible, high precision and accuracy with good linearity and recovery for mitragynine, 16-carboxy mitragynine, and 9-O-demethyl mitragynine in human urine.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids
  17. Liew SY, Khaw KY, Murugaiyah V, Looi CY, Wong YL, Mustafa MR, et al.
    Phytomedicine, 2015 Jan 15;22(1):45-8.
    PMID: 25636869 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2014.11.003
    Nine monoterpenoid indole alkaloids; naucletine (1), angustidine (2), nauclefine (3), angustine (4), naucline (5), angustoline (6), harmane (7), 3,14-dihydroangustoline (8), strictosamide (9) and one quinoline alkaloid glycoside; pumiloside (10) from Nauclea officinalis were tested for cholinesterase inhibitory activity. All the alkaloids except for pumiloside (10) showed strong to weak BChE inhibitory effect with IC50 values ranging between 1.02-168.55 μM. Angustidine (2), nauclefine (3), angustine (4), angustoline (6) and harmane (7) showed higher BChE inhibiting potency compared to galanthamine. Angustidine (2) was the most potent inhibitor towards both AChE and BChE. Molecular docking (MD) studies showed that angustidine (2) docked deep into the bottom gorge of hBChE and formed hydrogen bonding with Ser 198 and His 438. Kinetic study of angustidine (2) on BChE suggested a mixed inhibition mode with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 6.12 μM.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/isolation & purification; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology*
  18. Parthasarathy S, Ramanathan S, Murugaiyah V, Hamdan MR, Said MI, Lai CS, et al.
    Forensic Sci Int, 2013 Mar 10;226(1-3):183-7.
    PMID: 23385139 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.014
    Mitragyna speciosa, a native plant of Thailand and Malaysia known as 'ketum', is a plant of considerable interest. It exhibits strong antinociceptive effect and yet, acts like a psychostimulant. Due to the affordability and its ease of availability, the abuse of this plant as a substitute for other banned narcotics has become a major concern in many societies. In countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Australia and Malaysia, the use of ketum is illegal. However, for a person to be charged for possessing or selling ketum, a reliable analytical method is needed in order to detect and identify the plant and its products. Mitragynine is the major alkaloid of ketum. This compound manifests its antinociceptive effects by acting on the opioid receptors. Since M. speciosa contain large quantity of mitragynine and it is exclusive to the species, the present analytical method is developed and validated for the purpose of screening ketum products based on this unique compound as the analytical marker. The method uses a HPLC-DAD system with Inertsil C8 (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) as the column and a mixture of acetonitrile and formic acid, 50:50 (v/v), as the mobile phase. This method not only detects mitragynine, it can also be used to quantify the amount of mitragynine in the sample. The limit of detection is 0.25 μg/ml, while the limit of quantification is 0.50 μg/ml. The method is quick, simple and reliable with an accuracy of 97.27-101.74% and coefficient of variations of between 0.91 and 3.96%. The method has been tested and found suitable for the identification and quantification of mitragynine in dried plants, a variety of ketum extracts, as well as ketum drink obtained from the market.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/analysis*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry
  19. Ramanathan S, Parthasarathy S, Murugaiyah V, Magosso E, Tan SC, Mansor SM
    Molecules, 2015 Mar 18;20(3):4915-27.
    PMID: 25793541 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20034915
    Varied pharmacological responses have been reported for mitragynine in the literature, but no supportive scientific explanations have been given for this. These studies have been undertaken without a sufficient understanding of the physicochemical properties of mitragynine. In this work a UV spectrophotometer approach and HPLC-UV method were employed to ascertain the physicochemical properties of mitragynine. The pKa of mitragynine measured by conventional UV (8.11 ± 0.11) was in agreement with the microplate reader determination (8.08 ± 0.04). Mitragynine is a lipophilic alkaloid, as indicated by a logP value of 1.73. Mitragynine had poor solubility in water and basic media, and conversely in acidic environments, but it is acid labile. In an in vitro dissolution the total drug release was higher for the simulated gastric fluid but was prolonged and incomplete for the simulated intestinal fluid. The hydrophobicity, poor water solubility, high variability of drug release in simulated biological fluids and acid degradable characteristics of mitragynine probably explain the large variability of its pharmacological responses reported in the literature. The determined physicochemical properties of mitragynine will provide a basis for developing a suitable formulation to further improve its solubility, stability and oral absorption for better assessment of this compound in preclinical studies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/isolation & purification*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/chemistry*
  20. Jansen KL, Prast CJ
    J Psychoactive Drugs, 1988 Oct-Dec;20(4):455-7.
    PMID: 3072396
    Matched MeSH terms: Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/history*; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology
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