Erowid
 
 
Plants - Drugs Mind - Spirit Freedom - Law Arts - Culture Library  
Get the Erowid "Words" T-shirt
Contribute $50 and show support for accurate drug information!
cover image
Kratom and Other Mitragynines
The Chemistry and Pharmacology of Opioids from a Non-Opium Source
Rating :
rating
Author(s) :
Robert B. Raffa
Pages :
350
Pub Date :
2015
Edition(s) at Erowid :
2015(hb,1st ed,f)
Publisher :
CRC Press
ISBN :
9781482225181
REVIEWS, EXCERPTS, & COMMENTS #
  • Contains a chapter by Earth and Fire Erowid, titled "The Kratom Experience from Firsthand Reports"
BACK COVER #
Opioids such as morphine, codeine, and oxycodone are extracts or analogs isolated from a single source: the opium poppy. For a long time, it was believed to be nature's only source of opioids. But it now appears that biological diversity has evolved an alternative source of opioid compounds--those derived from the plant Mitragyna speciosa. This plant, known as Kratom in Thailand or Biak-Biak in Malaysia, has long been used locally as treatment for pain, fever reduction, diarrhea, and even depression.

Kratom and Other Mitragynines: The Chemistry and Pharmacology of Opioids from a Non-Opium Source presents an introduction to the chemical and biological properties of alkaloids isolated from M. speciosa as well as their synthetic analogs. The book covers various topics including phytochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology. Current research, analgesic effects, and addiction potential are also discussed. As the first extensive text on the basic science and clinical use of Kratom, the book provides readers with a concise yet comprehensive introduction to nature's "other opioid."