7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) has recently started receiving attention from scientists wanting to understand its impact on the opioid system. And they’re not alone. It seems like everyone is searching for ways to get their hands on kratom these days.
Are your customers among them?
As a kratom enthusiast, you know the importance of understanding your products. Your customers will expect you to know the kratom facts. And understanding the compounds that make up kratom is no exception.
Do you know the difference between mitragynine and 7-OH? Do you know how kratom produces these compounds and how they work? If not, you’ve come to the right place.
If you need to become a kratom expert for your inquiring customers, we’ve got your back. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about kratom’s primary active ingredient 7-OH and much more.
7-Hydroxymitragynine Explained
The first thing you need to understand about 7-OH is that it’s an alkaloid. Alkaloids are organic compounds found in nature. Being “organic” means alkaloids are primarily made up of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.
All alkaloids have in common that they contain one or more nitrogen atom and showcase weakly acidic properties. Some alkaloids may also contain additional elements, including sulfur, oxygen, or even chlorine.
Alkaloids can be beneficial, but they can also be toxic. Cocaine, caffeine, and nicotine are all toxic alkaloids because they cause intoxication. Meanwhile, other alkaloids may have pharmacological benefits.
Where Does 7-OH Come From?
Alkaloids can come from nature or scientists can make them in a lab (e.g., synthetic 7-Hydroxymitragynine). Many plants and animals contain high concentrations of alkaloids. Bacteria and some fungi are also made up of alkaloids.
7-OH comes from a plant. More specifically, this alkaloid comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree.
Mitragyna speciosa is indigenous to Southeast Asia and has been cultivated for centuries. Why? Because Asian peoples harvest and process the leaves into what you know as kratom.
7-OH is only a minor component of kratom. Research shows that 7-OH makes up only about 0.05% of dried Mitragyna speciosa leaves by weight.
Importantly, studies have also found that another kratom alkaloid, mitragynine, makes up 75% of the plant’s total alkaloid content. And mitragynine turns into 7-OH.
The Connection Between 7-OH and Mitragynine
Mitragynine is the dominant alkaloid in kratom and is responsible for most of its properties. Yet, mitragynine is actually a poor agonist of opioid receptors (which we’ll talk about next). This alkaloid explains little about kratom in general.
A recent research study addressed the question of why kratom is such a higher quality and promotes a stronger sense of well being even though it’s high in mitragynine. They found that, when mitragynine gets employed, it turns in 7-OH. And it’s 7-OH that makes for these peculiar phenomenons with kratom.
The Chemical Composition of 7-OH
As we’ve mentioned, mitragynine produces 7-OH as its primary output when broken down. 7-OH is an organic compound because it only contains Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen atoms.
These atoms arrange themselves in a carbon-linked structure with one aromatic hydrocarbon. 7-OH contains acrylate and ethyl groups as well. Interestingly, changes to these two groups alter the way 7-OH acts.
7-OH Pharmacology
7-OH encourages the opioid system. Specifically, this alkaloid acts on mu-opioid receptors (MOR).
7-hydroxymitragynine research shows that this alkaloid acts as a partial agonist of opioid receptors. This means 7-OH directly binds to the MOR receptors (it’s an agonist) but it doesn’t fully activate the receptor (it’s a partial agonist).
A 2016 study revealed that 7-OH can also act on kappa- and delta-opioid receptors (KOR and DOR, respectively).
Delta opioid receptors are even more present than KORs. Further research on DORs is being done at this time.
Potential Applications of 7-OH
Researchers are still looking into 7-OH and its potential benefits. As mentioned above, they haven’t discovered anything for certain just yet.
So far, we know that 7-OH’s partial agonist behavior at MOR produces alternative properties in mice.
At the same time, researchers believe 7-OH could be a real game changer as more data surfaces.
Keep in mind that researchers haven’t performed any of these studies in humans. EZ Kratom does not sell Kratom for human consumption as it has not been regulated by the FDA. We need more research to find out if these potential applications of 7-OH are applicable to humans. It is very important that proper testing is conducted before regulating anything as a supplement, pharmaceutical, etc.
The Bottom Line on 7-OH
7-Hydroxymitragynine or just 7-OH is a natural alkaloid that comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree. Like fellow alkaloid mitragynine, 7-OH is active. That’s why researchers think it could play a role in increased wellbeing.
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