Speciogynine: What to Know About Kratom’s Muscle Relaxant Alkaloid

Speciogynine Kratom’s Muscle Relaxant Alkaloid

Written by: KRI Team

Last Updated: October 14, 2024

Now popular in the Western world, kratom is used by many for its bountiful benefits. While there’s much talk about its main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, few know its lesser-known ones. Researchers have discovered over 40 alkaloids in the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, the scientific name of kratom, a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. We’ll cover all you need to know about speciogynine.

What is Speciogynine?

Speciogynine is one of the lesser-known and lesser-researched kratom alkaloids. It is a diastereoisomer of mitragynine, meaning that although mitragynine and speciogynine have the same molecular formula, their atoms are arranged differently. Since they are structurally different, each alkaloid affects the body differently.

Benefits of Speciogynine

Kratom, with its 40-plus alkaloids, can provide users with several benefits. From energy boosts to mood enhancements to its sedative properties, kratom can provide many different experiences. Each of kratom’s alkaloids reacts differently in our bodies. However, what makes the alkaloid speciogynine notable is its muscle-relaxant properties.

Pain relief: Speciogynine is a weak opioid receptor antagonist, meaning that while it does attach to the brain’s opiate receptors, they do so in a mild manner. Its mild blocking effect provides slight pain relief rather than being overly sedative.

Muscle relaxant: It’s believed that while providing pain relief, speciogynine may also help to alleviate muscle tension and decrease the severity and frequency of muscle spasms.

Sleeping aid: While speciogynine may not necessarily produce strong sedative effects, it could play a role in helping individuals sleep by causing the muscle to relax.

Mechanism of Action

Speciogynine works in the following ways:

Opioid Receptors: Speciogynine interacts with the brain’s opiate receptors, much like many of kratom’s other alkaloids.

Adrenergic Receptors: It’s believed that speciogynine affects the brain’s adrenergic receptors, which assist in the regulation of muscle relaxation.

Central Nervous System Depression: Speciogynine may play a role in producing kratom’s sedative effects by depressing the central nervous system.

Reduction of Neuromuscular Activity: Speciogynine may inhibit certain neurotransmitters responsible for muscle contraction.

Potential Uses

Since speciogynine is one of kratom’s many alkaloids, on its own, it doesn’t have any potential uses. Extracting and isolating it would be a complex and difficult task; at this point, it doesn’t provide recreational use. There isn’t any current clinical research specifically devoted to researching speciogynine, so to suggest that it has a potential use is mere speculation.

However, since speciogynine is an alkaloid common to all kratom strains, it certainly does play a role in a user’s overall experience, no matter how minor. This alkaloid won’t have much impact on the user’s experience.

Speciogynine as a Replacement for Opioid Use

While speciogynine is an opioid receptor antagonist, it’s a weak one. This kratom alkaloid does show some promise in terms of easing the symptoms of opioid withdrawals. However, it’s more likely that its benefits come from working in combination with the other kratom alkaloids. Speciogynine does have some similarities with opioids, primarily providing pain relief and muscle relaxation, and it’s these similarities that make kratom as a whole an option for opioid users.

While there aren’t any clinical studies specifically addressing speciogynine’s benefits as an opioid replacement, there are some that suggest that kratom as a whole can help individuals seeking relief from opioid withdrawal.

Side Effects of Speciogynine

Since there aren’t any clinical studies about the side effects of speciogynine, it’s difficult to confirm or deny that they do exist. However, kratom does have some documented side effects that can include:

Nausea and vomiting: Many kratom users report nausea, especially when taken at higher doses.

Constipation: Similar to opioids, kratom can cause constipation.

Dizziness and drowsiness: Higher doses can leave users feeling tired and sometimes dizzy.

Dry mouth: Kratom can cause dry mouth and hydration issues. It’s essential to stay hydrated when using kratom.

Dependency and withdrawal: For some, kratom can become habit-forming. Abrupt discontinuation of use can lead to withdrawal symptoms similar to opioid withdrawals.

Speciogynine, the Muscle Relaxant Alkaloid

While there isn’t much research devoted solely to speciogynine, this isn’t to say that it doesn’t have any importance. As one of the many alkaloids in kratom, it does add to the user’s experience. Some researchers believe that speciogynine is beneficial for pain relief and to relax muscles, but more detailed research is necessary before a definitive answer can be given.