SAINT LOUIS, MO – October 14, 2014 – Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL) is
pleased to announce that the Cerilliant® brand within its Applied Diagnostics and Testing business
segment now offers stable-labeled internal standards of the kratom alkaloids mitragynine and
7-hydroxymitragynine. These new solution Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) offer testing
laboratories deuterium-labeled internal standards suitable for quantitation of mitragynine and
7-hydroxymitragynine levels in biological and plant-based samples using mass spectrometry-based
methods.
Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are psychoactive alkaloids of the plant Mitragyna speciosa,
commonly known as kratom. Kratom acts on µ-opioid receptors and purportedly exhibits dose dependent
effects, acting as a stimulant at low concentrations and an analgesic at high concentrations.
Kratom possesses a high addiction potential and can reportedly cause adverse health effects such as
seizures, hallucinations, and delusions.1
As a result of its psychoactive properties, kratom is controlled in some countries including
Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, and Myanmar (Burma).2 The US Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) currently lists kratom as a “drug of concern,” due to its abuse potential and
the absence of any legitimate medical use.2-4
Cerilliant offers a wide selection of certified Snap-N-Spike® solutions for current and emerging
plant-based drugs of abuse from mitragynine; 7-hydroxymitragynine; and hallucinogens such as
salvinorin A, mescaline, and bufotenine to natural and designer tryptamines; medicinal and
recreational cannabinoids; and stimulants including cathinone derivatives, ephedrine, caffeine and nicotine. These reference standards are suitable for a variety of GC/MS and LC-MS/MS applications including clinical toxicology, forensic analysis, urine drug testing, and employee drug screening. Cerilliant’s multiple ISO accreditations ensure that Cerilliant products and services meet the highest industry standards accepted across international borders.