Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom)
Leaves harvested from the Southeast Asian tree Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) have a history of use as a traditional ethnobotanical source of medicine to combat fatigue, improve work productivity, and to reduce opioid-related withdrawal symptoms. Kratom leaves contain an array of alkaloids thought to b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.597696/full |
| _version_ | 1818602286770814976 |
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| author | Mengzi Zhang Abhisheak Sharma Francisco León Bonnie Avery Bonnie Avery Roger Kjelgren Christopher R. McCurdy Christopher R. McCurdy Brian J. Pearson |
| author_facet | Mengzi Zhang Abhisheak Sharma Francisco León Bonnie Avery Bonnie Avery Roger Kjelgren Christopher R. McCurdy Christopher R. McCurdy Brian J. Pearson |
| author_sort | Mengzi Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leaves harvested from the Southeast Asian tree Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) have a history of use as a traditional ethnobotanical source of medicine to combat fatigue, improve work productivity, and to reduce opioid-related withdrawal symptoms. Kratom leaves contain an array of alkaloids thought to be responsible for the bioactivity reported by users. Interest in the consumptive effects of kratom has led to its recent popularity and use in North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Although the chemistry and pharmacology of select kratom alkaloids are understood, studies have not examined the influence of production environment on growth and alkaloidal content. To directly address this need, 68 kratom trees were vegetatively propagated from a single mother stock to reduce genetic variability and subjected to four varying fertilizer application rates. Leaves were analyzed for chlorophyll concentration, biomass, and alkaloidal content to understand the physiological response of the plant. While increasing rates of fertilizer promoted greater plant growth, relationships with alkaloidal content within leaves were highly variable. Fertility rate had little influence on the concentration of mitragynine, paynantheine, speciociliatine, mitraphylline, and corynoxine per leaf dry mass. 7-Hydroxymitragynine was below the lower limit of quantification in all the analyzed leaf samples. Low to medium rates of fertilizer, however, maximized concentrations of speciogynine, corynantheidine, and isocorynantheidine per leaf dry mass, suggesting a promotion of nitrogen allocation for secondary metabolism occurred for these select alkaloids. Strong correlations (r2 = 0.86) between extracted leaf chlorophyll and rapid, non-destructive chlorophyll evaluation (SPAD) response allowed for development of a reliable linear model that can be used to diagnose nutrient deficiencies and allow for timely adjustment of fertilization programs to more accurately manage kratom cultivation efforts. Results from this study provide a greater understanding of the concentration and synthesis of nine bioactive alkaloids in fresh kratom leaves and provide foundational information for kratom cultivation and production. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:04:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf478317e30d48cf90e18c4643b059a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:04:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf478317e30d48cf90e18c4643b059a02022-12-21T22:30:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2020-12-011110.3389/fpls.2020.597696597696Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom)Mengzi Zhang0Abhisheak Sharma1Francisco León2Bonnie Avery3Bonnie Avery4Roger Kjelgren5Christopher R. McCurdy6Christopher R. McCurdy7Brian J. Pearson8Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, FL, United StatesDepartment of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesDepartment of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesTranslational Drug Development Core, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesMid-Florida Research and Education Center, Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, FL, United StatesDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesTranslational Drug Development Core, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesMid-Florida Research and Education Center, Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, FL, United StatesLeaves harvested from the Southeast Asian tree Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) have a history of use as a traditional ethnobotanical source of medicine to combat fatigue, improve work productivity, and to reduce opioid-related withdrawal symptoms. Kratom leaves contain an array of alkaloids thought to be responsible for the bioactivity reported by users. Interest in the consumptive effects of kratom has led to its recent popularity and use in North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Although the chemistry and pharmacology of select kratom alkaloids are understood, studies have not examined the influence of production environment on growth and alkaloidal content. To directly address this need, 68 kratom trees were vegetatively propagated from a single mother stock to reduce genetic variability and subjected to four varying fertilizer application rates. Leaves were analyzed for chlorophyll concentration, biomass, and alkaloidal content to understand the physiological response of the plant. While increasing rates of fertilizer promoted greater plant growth, relationships with alkaloidal content within leaves were highly variable. Fertility rate had little influence on the concentration of mitragynine, paynantheine, speciociliatine, mitraphylline, and corynoxine per leaf dry mass. 7-Hydroxymitragynine was below the lower limit of quantification in all the analyzed leaf samples. Low to medium rates of fertilizer, however, maximized concentrations of speciogynine, corynantheidine, and isocorynantheidine per leaf dry mass, suggesting a promotion of nitrogen allocation for secondary metabolism occurred for these select alkaloids. Strong correlations (r2 = 0.86) between extracted leaf chlorophyll and rapid, non-destructive chlorophyll evaluation (SPAD) response allowed for development of a reliable linear model that can be used to diagnose nutrient deficiencies and allow for timely adjustment of fertilization programs to more accurately manage kratom cultivation efforts. Results from this study provide a greater understanding of the concentration and synthesis of nine bioactive alkaloids in fresh kratom leaves and provide foundational information for kratom cultivation and production.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.597696/fullgrowthphysiological responsepharmacologymedicinal plantketumkakum |
| spellingShingle | Mengzi Zhang Abhisheak Sharma Francisco León Bonnie Avery Bonnie Avery Roger Kjelgren Christopher R. McCurdy Christopher R. McCurdy Brian J. Pearson Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) Frontiers in Plant Science growth physiological response pharmacology medicinal plant ketum kakum |
| title | Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) |
| title_full | Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) |
| title_short | Effects of Nutrient Fertility on Growth and Alkaloidal Content in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) |
| title_sort | effects of nutrient fertility on growth and alkaloidal content in mitragyna speciosa kratom |
| topic | growth physiological response pharmacology medicinal plant ketum kakum |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.597696/full |
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