Volume 11, Issue 8 p. 1162-1171
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Simultaneous quantification of ten key Kratom alkaloids in Mitragyna speciosa leaf extracts and commercial products by ultra-performance liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry

Abhisheak Sharma

Abhisheak Sharma

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

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Shyam H. Kamble

Shyam H. Kamble

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

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Francisco León

Francisco León

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

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Nelson J.-Y. Chear

Nelson J.-Y. Chear

Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

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Tamara I. King

Tamara I. King

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

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Erin C. Berthold

Erin C. Berthold

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

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Surash Ramanathan

Surash Ramanathan

Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

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Christopher R. McCurdy

Corresponding Author

Christopher R. McCurdy

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Correspondence

Dr Bonnie A. Avery, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. Email: [email protected];

Dr Christopher R. McCurdy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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Bonnie A. Avery

Corresponding Author

Bonnie A. Avery

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Correspondence

Dr Bonnie A. Avery, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. Email: [email protected];

Dr Christopher R. McCurdy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 17 April 2019
Citations: 74

Abstract

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a psychoactive plant popular in the United States for the self-treatment of pain and opioid addiction. For standardization and quality control of raw and commercial kratom products, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC−MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantification of ten key alkaloids, namely: corynantheidine, corynoxine, corynoxine B, 7-hydroxymitragynine, isocorynantheidine, mitragynine, mitraphylline, paynantheine, speciociliatine, and speciogynine. Chromatographic separation of diastereomers, or alkaloids sharing same ion transitions, was achieved on an Acquity BEH C18 column with a gradient elution using a mobile phase containing acetonitrile and aqueous ammonium acetate buffer (10mM, pH 3.5). The developed method was linear over a concentration range of 1–200 ng/mL for each alkaloid. The total analysis time per sample was 22.5 minutes. The analytical method was validated for accuracy, precision, robustness, and stability. After successful validation, the method was applied for the quantification of kratom alkaloids in alkaloid-rich fractions, ethanolic extracts, lyophilized teas, and commercial products. Mitragynine (0.7%–38.7% w/w), paynantheine (0.3%–12.8% w/w), speciociliatine (0.4%–12.3% w/w), and speciogynine (0.1%–5.3% w/w) were the major alkaloids in the analyzed kratom products/extracts. Minor kratom alkaloids (corynantheidine, corynoxine, corynoxine B, 7-hydroxymitragynine, isocorynantheidine) were also quantified (0.01%–2.8% w/w) in the analyzed products; however mitraphylline was below the lower limit of quantification in all analyses.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.