Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) Shows Potential in Treating Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Finds
- Research conducted by teams from multiple universities explored the therapeutic mechanisms of Mitragyna speciosa, a plant traditionally used for pain relief, hypertension, and addiction recovery.
- 19 compounds from Mitragyna speciosa were identified to interact with 60 Alzheimer’s disease-related targets, indicating a multi-faceted approach to addressing the disease.
- Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted Alzheimer’s disease as a key pathway affected by the compounds from Mitragyna speciosa.
- In vitro experiments showed that plant extracts reduced oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease cell models, suggesting potential clinical applications in the future.
The research, conducted by teams from Walailak University in Thailand, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Chittagong in Bangladesh, employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro methods to explore the plant’s therapeutic mechanisms.
Mitragyna speciosa has long been used traditionally for pain relief, hypertension, cough suppression, and addiction recovery. In this study, researchers identified 19 compounds from the plant that interact with 60 AD-related targets. A compound-target network revealed significant connections among 60 nodes and 470 edges, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of these interactions. Pathway enrichment analysis identified Alzheimer’s disease (hsa05010) as a key pathway affected by these compounds. Docking studies further demonstrated strong binding affinities between Mitragyna speciosa compounds—such as acetylursolic acid, beta-sitosterol, isomitraphylline, and speciophylline—and proteins linked to AD, including AKT1, GSK3B, NFκB1, and BACE1. In vitro experiments revealed that plant extracts significantly reduced oxidative stress in H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cells, an Alzheimer’s disease cell model.
“This research underscores the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway effects of MS on AD, providing insights for future research and potential clinical applications”, concludes the study.
The study’s full text can be found here.