What Are Kratom Alkaloids? A Full Breakdown of Every Active Compound
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Kratom alkaloids are the nitrogen-containing compounds in the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a Southeast Asian tree in the coffee family (Rubiaceae). Researchers have reported more than 40, but only a handful appear in meaningful amounts. This page names the main ones, shows how they relate and gives each a dated status line, with federal and state status kept apart.
It is a chemistry and status reference, not medical or legal advice, and it makes no claim about what any alkaloid does in the body.
What an alkaloid is
An alkaloid is a naturally occurring organic compound that contains at least one nitrogen atom. Caffeine in coffee, theobromine in cacao and quinine in cinchona bark are familiar examples.
Most kratom alkaloids belong to the indole and oxindole families, named for their ring structures. Several are diastereomers of mitragynine: same molecular formula, different three-dimensional arrangement.
The main kratom alkaloids at a glance
As of October 21, 2026, the federal column below reflects DEA's October 14, 2026 notice of intent on 7-OH and MGPI. The sections below add the detail and state status.
| Compound | What it is | Federal status as of October 21, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mitragynine | The most abundant leaf alkaloid; an indole alkaloid | Not federally scheduled |
| 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) | A minor leaf alkaloid; mitragynine with a hydroxyl group at carbon 7 | Named in the October 14 notice of intent; not yet in effect |
| Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI) | A rearranged derivative of mitragynine | Temporarily in Schedule I (August 26, 2026 order); also named in the October 14 notice |
| Speciogynine, paynantheine, speciociliatine | The other major leaf alkaloids by amount | Not named in either October 14 notice |
| MGM-15 and MGM-16 | Laboratory derivatives, not leaf alkaloids | Temporarily in Schedule I (August 26, 2026 order) |
Mitragynine
Mitragynine is the most abundant and most studied alkaloid in kratom leaf. The PubChem reference entry for mitragynine lists its structure and identifiers. It is the parent structure for several compounds below.
As of October 21, 2026, mitragynine and kratom leaf are not federally scheduled, according to DEA's October 14, 2026 notice in the Federal Register. Whether a given mitragynine product falls inside DEA's proposed thresholds depends on its tested 7-OH content and its mitragynine to 7-OH ratio, read from the batch certificate of analysis (COA).
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)
7-OH occurs in kratom leaf in small amounts and differs from mitragynine by a hydroxyl group at the seventh carbon, as the PubChem reference entry for 7-hydroxymitragynine shows.
Federal status
As of October 21, 2026, DEA's notice of intent published October 14, 2026 proposes to temporarily place 7-OH and MGPI in Schedule I. It replaces DEA's July 7, 2026 notice, which DEA withdrew.
The threshold tests in the October 14 notice catch a product if its 7-OH and MGPI content, alone or combined, is more than 1 mg per gram in a solid or 1 mg per milliliter in a liquid. A product is also caught if the mass of mitragynine divided by the mass of 7-OH (or of 7-OH plus MGPI) is less than 100.
For example, a hypothetical sample with 30 mg of mitragynine and 0.2 mg of 7-OH per gram has a ratio of 150, above the line of 100. A sample with 30 mg and 0.5 mg per gram has a ratio of 60, below the line, even though its 7-OH content is under 1 mg per gram.
According to the same Federal Register notice, the order can be published on or after November 13, 2026, takes effect on publication and lasts two years, with a possible one-year extension. It is not in effect as of October 21, 2026.
State status
As of October 21, 2026, DEA's state summary in the notice lists ten states that prohibit 7-OH: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin. Powers Health's August 14, 2026 summary of state emergency orders reports that Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina and Texas limit 7-OH as a share of total alkaloids.
In Florida, a June 22, 2026 emergency rule reported by Florida Phoenix placed concentrated 7-OH and related compounds in Schedule I under state law. The DEA notice also states that the federal action does not preempt stricter state law.
Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI)
MGPI is a rearranged derivative of mitragynine, sometimes called "pseudo" on labels and lab reports. It is not normally found in fresh leaf in meaningful amounts and can form through oxidation.
As of October 21, 2026, MGPI has been temporarily in Schedule I under DEA's August 26, 2026 order (91 FR 54948), which stays in place until it expires or is replaced, as set out in DEA's October 14, 2026 notice on 7-OH and MGPI. That notice also names MGPI alongside 7-OH.
At state level, Florida's June 22, 2026 emergency rule covers concentrated 7-OH and related compounds, as Florida Phoenix reported, and counsel is confirming whether that reaches MGPI. Our other verified state sources do not name it.
Speciogynine, paynantheine and speciociliatine
These are the other major alkaloids by amount. Speciogynine and speciociliatine are diastereomers of mitragynine, and paynantheine, a related structure, is often used as a chemical marker to confirm a sample is Mitragyna speciosa.
As of October 21, 2026, none of the three is among the compounds named in the October 14 notice on 7-OH and MGPI or in DEA's separate October 14, 2026 notice on MGM-15 and MGM-16. Kratom leaf, in which they occur, is not federally scheduled, and counsel is confirming that no other federal rule applies to them as isolated compounds.
At state level, our verified state sources do not name these compounds; rules covering kratom itself are listed below.
Minor and trace alkaloids
Phytochemical studies report many more alkaloids in trace amounts, including corynantheidine, mitraciliatine, mitraphylline, isomitraphylline, ajmalicine, akuammigine, tetrahydroalstonine, corynoxine A and B, corynoxeine, isocorynoxeine, rhynchophylline, isorhynchophylline, hirsutine, speciofoline and 9-hydroxycorynantheidine. Several are better known from related plants such as Uncaria and Rauwolfia, and most lab panels for finished products do not report them.
As of October 21, 2026, none is named in DEA's notice on 7-OH and MGPI or its companion notice on MGM-15 and MGM-16. Counsel is confirming that no other federal rule applies to them as isolated compounds, and our state sources do not name them.
Lab-made derivatives: MGM-15 and MGM-16
MGM-15 and MGM-16 are laboratory derivatives, not leaf alkaloids, and our post on whether 7Stax has MGM-15 sets out 7Stax's position.
As of October 21, 2026, DEA's reissued notice on MGM-15 and MGM-16 confirms that both have been temporarily in Schedule I under DEA's August 26, 2026 order (91 FR 54948), which stays in place until it expires or is replaced.
State rules that cover kratom itself
As of October 21, 2026, a Massachusetts emergency order places kratom in Schedule I under state law, according to Boston 25 News's report on the Massachusetts emergency order. Massachusetts is also one of the ten states that DEA's notice lists as prohibiting 7-OH.
State rules change often, and this list is not complete, so check your own state's current law. For 7Stax's own position on the federal timeline, see 7Stax's important update on 7-OH.
Why alkaloid profiles vary
Origin, leaf maturity, season, drying, light and storage time all shift the relative amounts of each alkaloid, so no two batches of leaf are identical. Vein color alone is not a reliable guide to alkaloid content.
That is why a batch certificate of analysis matters. Our guide to reading a certificate of analysis walks through the potency panel and the threshold arithmetic, and our post on why third-party testing matters more than brand claims explains how to judge a lab report.
Concentration also changes the numbers, as our explainer on kratom extract versus plain leaf powder shows, and the 7Stax lab results page covers how 7Stax publishes its batch reports.
Frequently asked questions
How many alkaloids are in kratom leaf?
More than 40 have been reported, but only a handful, led by mitragynine, appear in meaningful amounts.
Is mitragynine the same compound as 7-OH?
No. 7-OH differs from mitragynine by a hydroxyl group at the seventh carbon, so it is a separate compound with its own chemical database entry.
Does a certificate of analysis list every alkaloid?
No. A COA lists only the compounds the lab was asked to test, and most panels skip trace alkaloids.
Sources
- Federal Register 2026-20943, DEA notice of intent on 7-OH and MGPI, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Federal Register 2026-20942, DEA notice on MGM-15 and MGM-16, accessed October 21, 2026.
- PubChem, Mitragynine compound entry, accessed October 21, 2026.
- PubChem, 7-Hydroxymitragynine compound entry, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Powers Health, state emergency orders on kratom, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Florida Phoenix, Florida emergency rule on 7-OH, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Boston 25 News, Massachusetts kratom order, accessed October 21, 2026.