Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is known to have various types or “strains” that are distinguished by the colour of the veins on the leaves, namely green, white, and red. Each type of kratom has different characteristics and effects, making it popular for various needs, from increasing energy to helping with relaxation. Understanding the differences between the three is essential for users who want to choose the type of kratom according to their needs.

All types of kratom contain active compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenolics, tannins, and saponins. A study by Boffa et al. (2018) showed that the alkaloid content of the green kratom malay type has the highest alkaloid and total mitragynine content compared to the red thai, red malay, red bali, and white borneo types. A total of 24 kinds of alkaloids were detected in the Red Bali strain, while other varieties only contained around 11 compounds. The Red Thai, Red Bali, Green Malay, and White Borneo strains have a higher mitragynine (MG) weight ratio (w/w) compared to paynantheine (P). At the same time, Red Malay shows a more dominant P content. Based on the weight ratio, the Green Malay (GMK) variety displays the highest content in its extract, 59.7% for MG and 94.9% for total alkaloids.

A study conducted by Huisman et al. (2023) involved 644 active kratom users who completed an anonymous survey. The majority of respondents were customers of a single kratom vendor whose products had been analyzed by an independent laboratory for alkaloid content. Survey results showed that users reported differences in effects consistent with familiar marketing narratives, such as red for relaxation, white for energy, and green for balance. However, laboratory analysis showed no significant differences in alkaloid content between the strains, indicating that marketing factors and anecdotal reports likely influence the perception of differing effects..

All three types of kratom also showed vigorous antioxidant activity. However, the flavonoid and phenolic content did not directly determine the activity level. In addition, the effectiveness of mitragynine and total alkaloid extraction depends on the extraction method and strain type. For green and red strains, methods such as sonication and reflux produce the highest extractions. Mutiara et al. (2023) confirmed this, explaining that the most efficient method for extracting total alkaloids from various kratom variants differs depending on the type. The sonication and reflux methods produced the highest extraction of 19.125 mg/g for the green variant. Meanwhile, for the red (31.625 mg/g) and white (26.125 mg/g) variants, the sonication method proved to be the most effective. When explicitly viewed for the main compound mitragynine, the most efficient method for green is sonication with a yield of 22.21 mg/g, for red is reflux with a yield of 29.15 mg/g, and for white is soxhletation with a yield of 24.62 mg/g. These findings indicate that the effectiveness of extracting active compounds from kratom is highly dependent on the combination of strain type and extraction technique used.

While many users report different effects from each type of kratom, a study by Huisman et al. (2023) found that product analysis found no significant differences in alkaloid content between strains, suggesting that reported differences in effects may be influenced more by marketing narratives and anecdotal reports than actual chemical differences.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement or herb.

References:

1. Boffa , L., The, C., Barge, A., Muccioli, G., Cravotto, G. (2018). ‘Alkaloid Profiles and Activity in Different Mitragyna speciosa Strains’, Natural Product Communications, 13(9), pp. 1111-1116.
2. Huisman, G., Menke, M., Grundmann, O. (2023). ‘Examining the Psychoactive Differences between Kratom Strains’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(14), pp. 6425.
3. Masriani, Muharini, R., Wijayanti, D. K., Melania, P., Sari, M. L. W. (2023). ‘Phytochemical Screening of Ethanol Extracts from Three Variants of Kratom Leaves (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.)’, Jurnal Kependidikan Kimia, 11(2), pp. 192-201.
4. Melania, P., Masriani, Muharini, R., Alimuddin, A. H., Sartika, R. P. (2023). ‘Total Phenolic and Flavonoids Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) Leaf Ethanol Extract’, Jurnal Natural, 24(1), pp. 16-21.
5. Mutiara, S. N. I., Masriani, Muharini, R., Sapar, A., Rasmawan, R. (2023). ‘Comparison of Extraction Variations on Mitragynine Level of Three Variants of Kratom leaves (Mitragyna speciosa Korth)’, Jurnal Kimia dan Pendidikan, 8(1), pp. 113-129.
6. Swogger, M. T., & Walsh, Z. (2018). Kratom use and mental health: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 183, pp. 134-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.012