Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Oxford Conference Center
Event Website
https://oxfordicsb.org/
Start Date
21-4-2026 1:15 PM
End Date
21-4-2026 1:35 PM
Description
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a botanical product widely sold in the United States as powders, capsules, tablets, gummies, and beverages. Natural kratom leaves primarily contain mitragynine (MG) as the dominant alkaloid. However, an increasing number of commercial products contain elevated levels of the more potent opioid alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and the semi-synthetic compound mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGP). Reliable analytical identification of these compounds is critical for dietary supplement testing, regulatory monitoring, and public health protection. However, kratom matrices contain numerous structurally related alkaloids and isomeric compounds that complicate mass spectrometric identification and may lead to false positive assignments. The objective of this research is to develop a robust LC-HRMS workflow capable of confidently distinguishing naturally occurring kratom alkaloids from semi-synthetic or enriched derivatives in commercial products. A total of 38 commercial kratom products, representing multiple formulations, were analyzed and compared against a botanically authenticated kratom voucher specimen (AHP-Verified) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Chromatographic separation, accurate mass measurement, and targeted MS/MS fragmentation were integrated to differentiate MG, 7-OH, MGP, and related alkaloid isomers. Results demonstrated that reliance solely on accurate mass detection or commonly used multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions produced overlapping peaks on chromatograms, highlighting a significant risk of false identification of 7-OH. Incorporating retention-time matching and diagnostic fragment ions enabled confident differentiation of 7-OH and MGP from co-eluting alkaloids. Among the surveyed products, MG was detected in all samples, while 7-OH and MGP were primarily observed in certain tablet and capsule formulations. This work provides a rigorous analytical framework for reliable kratom alkaloid identification, supporting improved testing of botanical products and advancing analytical methods relevant to dietary supplement safety and regulatory science.
Recommended Citation
ZHANG, Mengliang, "Determination of Kratom Alkaloids in Botanical Products Using Multi-Criteria LC–MS Analysis" (2026). Oxford ICSB. 2.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/2
Publication Date
April 2026
Accessibility Status
Screen reader accessible, Searchable text
Included in
Determination of Kratom Alkaloids in Botanical Products Using Multi-Criteria LC–MS Analysis
Oxford Conference Center
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a botanical product widely sold in the United States as powders, capsules, tablets, gummies, and beverages. Natural kratom leaves primarily contain mitragynine (MG) as the dominant alkaloid. However, an increasing number of commercial products contain elevated levels of the more potent opioid alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and the semi-synthetic compound mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGP). Reliable analytical identification of these compounds is critical for dietary supplement testing, regulatory monitoring, and public health protection. However, kratom matrices contain numerous structurally related alkaloids and isomeric compounds that complicate mass spectrometric identification and may lead to false positive assignments. The objective of this research is to develop a robust LC-HRMS workflow capable of confidently distinguishing naturally occurring kratom alkaloids from semi-synthetic or enriched derivatives in commercial products. A total of 38 commercial kratom products, representing multiple formulations, were analyzed and compared against a botanically authenticated kratom voucher specimen (AHP-Verified) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Chromatographic separation, accurate mass measurement, and targeted MS/MS fragmentation were integrated to differentiate MG, 7-OH, MGP, and related alkaloid isomers. Results demonstrated that reliance solely on accurate mass detection or commonly used multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions produced overlapping peaks on chromatograms, highlighting a significant risk of false identification of 7-OH. Incorporating retention-time matching and diagnostic fragment ions enabled confident differentiation of 7-OH and MGP from co-eluting alkaloids. Among the surveyed products, MG was detected in all samples, while 7-OH and MGP were primarily observed in certain tablet and capsule formulations. This work provides a rigorous analytical framework for reliable kratom alkaloid identification, supporting improved testing of botanical products and advancing analytical methods relevant to dietary supplement safety and regulatory science.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/2