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Background Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) is a medicinal plant, widely used in Southeast Asia chiefly for its unique medicinal properties in treating chronic pain, opioid dependence and withdrawal, and as a mood enhancer.Method Relevant articles describing kratom's medicinal utility was identified and reviewed.Results In traditional settings, laborers chew fresh leaves or ingest a kratom decoction (tea) as a stimulant that increases work performance, while those with opioid use disorder (OUD) use kratom as an affordable substitute for opioids. Though kratom is alleged to cause adverse health effects if used frequently over prolonged periods, its use has not been linked to any major health threat in traditional settings.Conclusion Currently, kratom’s pharmacological and long-term safety profile remains poorly elucidated and warrants further research. This paper provides a brief account of possibly overlooked medicinal potential of kratom.
Domnic et al. (Tue,) studied this question.