A Review of Kratom Product Evolution and Its Associated Health Outcomes.

Authors

Shereen Aly, Oliver Grundmann

Published in

Substance abuse and rehabilitation. Volume 17. Pages 606821. Epub Aug 04, 2026.

Abstract

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) is a tree that belongs to the coffee family (Rubiaceae) and is native to Southeast Asia. This review article focuses on the diversification of kratom products, differentiating between native leaf, extracts and isolates based on use patterns and conceptualization of kratom for self-treatment of disorders.
The dried powdered native leaf and its extract derivatives are primarily used as kratom products in the US and Europe. Diversification of kratom products has increased since 2021 following the global COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a rise in chemically altered kratom products, including enriched extracts, edibles, resins, and isolates. Most prominent among them is the oxidative metabolite of mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine.
The total alkaloid content is lowest in native kratom leaf products (2-5% by weight) which is associated with a lower potential for adverse effects and dependence compared to concentrated products, where extracts can contain five to 50 times the alkaloid content of the native leaf. Purified compounds, predominantly mitragynine and semi-synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine, are likely to be associated with a higher risk for dependence and overdose potential.

PMID:
42572688
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Aug 2026.

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