Kratom extraction

[Sertürner]

So I did a basic ethanol extraction using on ~250g of kratom, and ended up with some green crystals and some resin. Total yield ~10g of kratom extract. About 40% crystals and 60% resin. I just eyeballed this percentage, not actually weigh it out. The crystals were incredibly strong, giving me a pretty strong traditional opioid feeling. I have a pretty high tolerance to both kratom and opioids (100mg oxycodone is what it takes for adequate effects) and this stuff had me feeling a almost that same level, but not quite.
The resin and resin/crystal mixture I ground up did not touch the green crystals in terms of effects.
Anybody know why that was so strong? And my main question, how can I clean up this resin in my extracts? I want pure crystal, as I want to investigate these.

 

[Sertürner]

 

[S.J.B.]

And my main question, how can I clean up this resin in my extracts? I want pure crystal, as I want to investigate these.

Your best bet would probably be an acid/base extraction. Here is a procedure specifically for kratom, although pretty much any acid/base procedure for alkaloid purification should do.

 

[Sertürner]

Would a soxhlet be an easier way to go with this extraction besides a/b extraction? A/B extraction seems pretty time consuming and tedious. The only thing I am concerned about with the soxhlet is the spectrum, but I suppose I could do separate extractions with different solvents and mix them before evaporating them off.

 

[sekio]

the classic method for extracting mitragynine involves
1. extracting the leaf material with hot methanol, then concentrating to get a crude extract
2. material dissolved in 10% acetic acid then basified with sodium carbonate and extraction with chloroform to get crude alkaloid material (~1.8% w/w in the paper)
3. crude alkaloids chromatographed over silica to get pure mitragynine

there was also a more recent procedure that seems easier & will have less material loss to hydrolysis as it doesn't involve any water, published by the malaysians
1. soxhlet extract the dry powdered leaf with hexanes/naptha & discard the solvent
2. soxhlet extract the defatted leaf with chloroform to get crude alkaloid extract (~2.4% w/w in the paper)
3. crude alkaloids chromatographed over silica & recrystallized to get pure mitragynine

presumably the ethanol extract you have is maybe 50% pure mitragynine, which is still good for a quick extraction

 

[Sertürner]

I haven't used many solvents before and am concerned about safety while doing this procedure. Anything I should be cautious about before I do this. And I dont have access to any of the above items in step 3. Anyway around this?