Kratom Alkaloids as Probes for Opioid Receptor Function: Pharmacological Characterization of Minor Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids from Kratom

ACS Chemical Neuroscience
2021.0

Abstract

Dry leaves of kratom (mitragyna speciosa) are anecdotally consumed as pain relievers and antidotes against opioid withdrawal and alcohol use disorders. There are at least 54 alkaloids in kratom; however, investigations to date have focused around mitragynine, 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7OH), and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP). Herein, we probe a few minor indole and oxindole based alkaloids, reporting the receptor affinity, G-protein activity, and beta arrestin-2 signaling of corynantheidine, corynoxine, corynoxine B, mitraciliatine, and isopaynantheine at mouse and human opioid receptors. We identify corynantheidine as a mu opioid receptor (MOR) partial agonist, whereas its oxindole derivative corynoxine was an MOR full agonist. Similarly, another alkaloid mitraciliatine was found to be an MOR partial agonist, while isopaynantheine was a KOR agonist which showed reduced beta arrestin-2 recruitment. Corynantheidine, corynoxine, and mitraciliatine showed MOR dependent antinociception in mice, but mitraciliatine and corynoxine displayed attenuated respiratory depression and hyperlocomotion compared to the prototypic MOR agonist morphine in vivo when administered supraspinally. Isopaynantheine on the other hand was identified as the first kratom derived KOR agonist in vivo. While these minor alkaloids are unlikely to play the majority role in the biological actions of kratom, they represent excellent starting points for further diversification as well as distinct efficacy and signaling profiles with which to probe opioid actions in vivo.

Knowledge Graph

Similar Paper

Kratom Alkaloids as Probes for Opioid Receptor Function: Pharmacological Characterization of Minor Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids from Kratom
ACS Chemical Neuroscience 2021.0
Exploring the Chemistry of Alkaloids from Malaysian Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) and the Role of Oxindoles on Human Opioid Receptors
Journal of Natural Products 2021.0
Investigation of the Adrenergic and Opioid Binding Affinities, Metabolic Stability, Plasma Protein Binding Properties, and Functional Effects of Selected Indole-Based Kratom Alkaloids
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2020.0
Mitragynine/Corynantheidine Pseudoindoxyls As Opioid Analgesics with Mu Agonism and Delta Antagonism, Which Do Not Recruit β-Arrestin-2
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2016.0
The Chemical and Pharmacological Properties of Mitragynine and Its Diastereomers: An Insight Review
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022.0
The Chemistry of Kratom [Mitragyna speciosa]: Updated Characterization Data and Methods to Elucidate Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids
Journal of Natural Products 2020.0
Predicted Mode of Binding to and Allosteric Modulation of the μ-Opioid Receptor by Kratom’s Alkaloids with Reported Antinociception In Vivo
Biochemistry 2021.0
Activity of Mitragyna speciosa (“Kratom”) Alkaloids at Serotonin Receptors
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021.0
Studies on the Synthesis and Opioid Agonistic Activities of Mitragynine-Related Indole Alkaloids:  Discovery of Opioid Agonists Structurally Different from Other Opioid Ligands
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2002.0
Oxidative Metabolism as a Modulator of Kratom’s Biological Actions
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021.0