Promoting the oxidation of mitragynine to 7-hydroxymitragynine

[negrogesic]

Mitragynine undergoes some degree of auto-oxidation to 7-hydroxymitragynine within the plant, but at very limited rates (the degree of which presumably is based on environmental factors or age). The desired oxidation occurs at C7, increasing potency nearly 20 fold.



Any ideas on how this could be selectively promoted or chemically inspired?

 

[izo]

i ve seen Lead(IV) acetate beeing used.

 

[negrogesic]

i ve seen Lead(IV) acetate beeing used.

Interesting, unfortunately sounds like quite a pretty toxic approach.

 

[sekio]

[ref]

So, you can use singlet oxygen, or Oxone. PIFA is apparently [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene - probably not the reagent to use when you compare the costs, and in light of the lower yield.

Now pair this with the Malay paper for isolating mitragynine and now you, too, can help get 7-OH-mitragynine banned make big bucks selling 7-OH as a research chemical.

 

[negrogesic]

[ref]

So, you can use singlet oxygen, or Oxone. PIFA is apparently [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene - probably not the reagent to use when you compare the costs, and in light of the lower yield.

Now pair this with the Malay paper for isolating mitragynine and now you, too, can help get 7-OH-mitragynine banned make big bucks selling 7-OH as a research chemical.

Interesting, thank you (and I happened to be reading that Malaysian isolation write up yesterday, interesting low their yield was: 800mg from 300g, an amount which should have yielded a few grams).

I would imagine that someone has already gone about the 7-hydroxymitragynine conversion commercially, perhaps to adulterate the "enhanced" product or extracts.

If a cost efficient and practical means of both the extraction of mitragynine and its oxidation at C7 could be pinned down you'd have the heroin of kratom.