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Dietary Bioactive Components (Poster Session)

(P26-004-25) Dose-Dependent Effect of Kratom Alkaloid Mitragynine in Euglycemic and Hyperglycemic Male Mice

Monday, June 2, 2025
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board C-31

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Lamyaa K. Alsarkhi, MS, PhD Candidate

    PhD Candidate Nutritional Sciences Graduate Program Physiology/ Biochemistry
    Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
    Somerset, New Jersey, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • NB

    Nicholas T. Bello, PhD

    Rutgers University
    New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States

Disclosure(s):
Lamyaa K. Alsarkhi, MS, PhD Candidate: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Mitragynine is the predominant alkaloid in kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) from Southeast Asia. Mitragynine (MTG) has opioid and adrenergic agonist activity. Kratom and MTG are unregulated and readily available to US consumers. These studies evaluate the effects of a single high-dose injection of mitragynine and morphine on blood glucose and insulin signaling. It also investigates the dose-dependent impact of repeated mitragynine administration on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice.

Methods: For the acute experiment, C57BL/6J male mice were divided into two feeding groups: Regular chow (RC) and High-Fat Diet (HFD; 60% fat). After 6 weeks, they received a single acute intraperitoneal (IP) injection of morphine (10 mg/kg), MTG (10 mg/kg), or vehicle. Blood glucose levels were recorded every 15 minutes, and tissues were collected 60 minutes post-injection. For the chronic experiment, after 12 weeks, RC and HFD C57BL/6J male mice received 150 mg/kg of streptozotocin (IP). By day three, both groups showed increased blood glucose levels and then on day seven, they were treated daily with mitragynine at varying doses (1-10 mg/kg) for one week. Plasma, hepatic, and pancreatic tissues were processed for glucose and insulin signaling.

Results: For the acute experiments, mitragynine (10 mg/kg) significantly raised blood glucose levels, while morphine (10 mg/kg) reduced it in both groups. For the chronic experiments, 1 mg/kg mitragynine improved glucose levels and insulin release in RC/hyperglycemic group (P < 0.05), enhanced insulin sensitivity in the HFD/hyperglycemic group, but 10 mg/kg further impaired glucose homeostasis.

Conclusions: The dose-dependent metabolic effects of kratom-derived alkaloids are not well characterized. As such, assessing potential improvements in glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity from chronic low-dose administration of mitragynine could highlight its therapeutic benefits.

Funding Sources: USDA-NIFA NJ06220