PhD Scientific Days 2025

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Technologies I.

Bioavailibility Enhancement of Kratom Alkaloids by Cyclodextrin Complexation

Name of the presenter

Dohárszky András

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Department of Pharmacognosy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Authors

András Dohárszky¹, Ida Fejős¹

1: Department of Pharmacognosy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Text of the abstract

Introduction
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) leaves have been traditionally used in Southeast Asia for their analgesic, wound-healing, and stimulant effects. These pharmacological properties are primarily attributed to mitragynine and its related alkaloids, which, despite their therapeutic potential, suffer from poor water solubility and low chemical stability.
Aims
This study aimed to identify the most suitable cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives for forming stable inclusion complexes with kratom alkaloids to enhance their aqueous solubility and stability.
Methods
An affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) method was developed to systematically investigate the complexation of mitragynine, speciociliatine, speciogynine, and paynantheine with nearly 40 CD derivatives. The promising CDs were selected for phase-solubility studies.
Results
Our ACE and phase-solubility study results revealed that medium-cavity-size β-CD derivatives proved to be promising complexing agents. The negatively charged sugammadex, subetadex, and the sufoalkylated-beta-CD analogs formed the most stable inclusion complexes, and the solubility of mitragynine.
Conclusion
The CD complexation results of these promising secondary plant metabolites presented here provide a strong foundation for future pharmaceutical development focused on improving the solubility and bioavailability of various kratom alkaloids.
Funding
Funded by SE 250+ Excellence PhD Scholarship