Analysis of mitragynine and antioxidant content in kratom leaves tea

Abstract

Tea is a popular and important source of antioxidants, and kratom can be used to make tea. Different varieties of kratom leaves contain varying amounts of mitragynine, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the mitragynine content, total phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of kratom tea made from red vine, green vine, and serrate apex species. The dried, crushed kratom leaves were boiled and steeped for 5 and 10 min, and the results were compared to an extract obtained with methanol as a solvent. The results showed that the highest mitragynine content was found in tea made from the red vine, green vine, and serrate apex species, with levels of 5.98, 8.15, and 8.33 mg/g, respectively. The phenolic content was 368.60, 437.93, and 382.23 mg GAE/g, respectively. The flavonoid content was 210.88, 208.50, and 138.05 mg QE/g, respectively, and the antioxidant activity was 94.36%, 98.50%, and 93.23%, respectively. Processing kratom leaves into kratom tea results in a decrease in the amount of mitragynine, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity from the extract by about 80%, 90%, 75%, and 15%, respectively. The brewing method of boiling tea was a process that obtains a higher amount of active substances than steeping in hot water. Therefore, boiling is a suitable method for preparing kratom tea to obtain high antioxidant content.