Speciociliatine
Speciogynine is one of the three major diastereomers of mitragynine, belonging to the indolo[2,3-a]quinolizine alkaloid class in Mitragyna speciosa (kratom). It is non–opioid active but contributes to the overall alkaloid profile and is considered important in chemotype classification and quality control. This section summarizes reported occurrence, validated analytical methods, and key observations.
Occurrence in Plant and Products
- Present in kratom leaves at variable levels, typically 0.1–1.0% w/w of dry leaf material.
- Relative abundance is often comparable to or slightly lower than mitragynine in most chemotypes.
- Commercial extracts and products show broad ranges; some U.S. market powders report 0.05–0.8% of dry weight.
- Detected in brewed teas and liquid extracts, showing efficient extraction into consumer preparations.
Analytical Methods
Quantitation of speciogynine has been incorporated into multi-analyte LC–MS/MS and HRMS methods:
- Sharma et al. (2019): Ten-alkaloid UPLC–MS/MS panel for plant and product QC.
- Kamble et al. (2021): Eleven-alkaloid plasma PK method applied to kratom products.
- Manwill et al. (2022): HRMS-based chemotyping study distinguishing mitragynine isomers.
- Standard reference materials are available (e.g., Cayman Chemical, Cerilliant) for validated quantitation.
Limitations & Notes
- Speciogynine co-elutes with related diastereomers (mitragynine, speciociliatine), requiring optimized chromatographic separation.
- Reported levels differ between fresh leaves, dried powders, and processed extracts.
- Limited pharmacological data — focus remains on occurrence and analytical reporting.
- Useful as a marker in differentiating kratom chemotypes alongside mitragynine and speciociliatine.
