Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves have been traditionally used there for their stimulant and pain-relieving effects. It contains alkaloids (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine) that interact with opioid receptors in the brain, creating both stimulant effects at lower doses and sedative, pain-relieving effects at higher doses.
Kratom began gaining popularity in the U.S. in the early 2000s, promoted as a natural alternative for pain relief, opioid withdrawal management, and mood enhancement. Its use has continued to spread and it’s now widely available in supplement stores, Kava bars, and online.
It’s currently legal in the U.S. — with some local exceptions — but a better scientific understanding is needed about its safety, efficacy, and potential therapeutic applications.
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $650,000 grant to University of Florida and its Institute of Food & Agricultural Science to study the kratom plant’s genome, gene expression and metabolites to try and get a better handle on how it affects the body, and help researchers begin to understand whether it could someday be used as a more formal way of addressing opioid addiction and withdrawal.
Dr. Satya Swathi Nadakuduti will lead a team of interdisciplinary researchers for the study. She's an assistant professor of plant biotechnology and biochemistry in the UF/IFAS environmental horticulture department. We talk with one of the researchers on her team to learn more.
Guest:
Dr. Christopher McCurdy, Professor, and The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar & Chair, and Associate Dean For Faculty Development; and Director Of The UF Translational Drug Development Core in the department of Medicinal Chemistry in the University of Florida Department of Chemistry.
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