People all around the world have been experimenting with different ways to get the most out of this magnificent plant since it was originally used to improve wellness in the early 1800s. Some people make tea out of the crushed leaves. Others incorporate pulverized Kratom powder into drinks or smoothies. Others choose to extract and concentrate the potent plant alkaloids present in Kratom leaves before incorporating them into prepared foods or meals. Extraction on a commercial scale, which results in a crystalline powder form of pure Kratom alkaloids, is one of the most recent advancements in Kratom administration methods.

Kratom extracts can be an excellent tool to improve your overall Kratom experience when utilized responsibly, but there’s a lot to know about extracts in order to to do so safely. Because of the rapid surge in popularity of Kratom extracts, Kratom Virtue assists in answering some of the most often asked questions concerning extracts. After reading this article, you’ll have all the information you need to determine whether Kratom extracts are right for you and, if so, how to utilize them correctly.

A brief general history on plant extracts and their uses

Let’s take a look at the history of extracts created from plant-based materials before we get into the specifics regarding the qualities and uses of Kratom extracts. Botanical extracts have been used in some form or another by people throughout history. Plant extracts have been used to cure fevers and pains since antiquity. Since then, extracted plant material has been utilized to preserve crop yields from pest infestations, protect skin from sun damage, support multiple body systems, and even supply color in the form of dyes. As a result, it’s no surprise that Kratom extracts have become popular.
Most Kratom extracts were prepared in the past using hot water and evaporation to create an alkaloid-rich serum that could be bottled and stored for later use. More sophisticated extraction methods now achieve extraordinarily high concentrations.

Kratom extraction methods

There are numerous methods for extracting active compounds from organic materials. Here are a few examples:

SPME: SPME stands for Solid Phase Microextraction. SPME is a modern extraction method that combines the extraction, concentration, and introduction steps into one seamless process, resulting in an extremely efficient and ecologically friendly extraction method.

MAE: MAE stands for Microwave-Assisted Extraction. Microwaving a Kratom combination to unleash its active components is exactly what it sounds like. Advanced processing equipment is required to perform this correctly; this is not something that should be performed outside of a properly equipped processing facility.

SFE: SFE stands for Supercritical Fluid Extraction. Supercritical substances are defined as those that have the qualities of both a liquid and a gas. CO2, or carbon dioxide, is one such substance—a freely available chemical with extremely low toxicity. CO2 extraction is a widely utilized method for extracting Kratom alkaloids from plant material. Ethanol or methanol can be added to improve the solubility of supercritical CO2 to improve the efficiency of this procedure.

Decoction, Maceration, Infusion, Percolation: The most basic of all Kratom extraction processes is this one. It uses water, a solvent, and some filtering to create a useful extract that contains more oil-soluble chemicals but isn’t as stable as extracts made with other methods.

The final Kratom extract might have varied amounts of alkaloid content depending on the extraction method used. Knowing the amount of active alkaloids in any Kratom extract you’re considering is probably the most critical thing to know.

Kratom extract concentrations

It’s critical to understand that not all Kratom extracts are the same. Some Kratom extracts only include Mitragynine (also known as ‘Mitragynine isolate’), while others contain the entire spectrum of Kratom alkaloids (also known as ‘Full-Spectrum’ Kratom extracts – such as Kratom Virtue 20:1 Black Label extract). Despite the fact that Mitragynine is the most active alkaloid in the Kratom plant, most users think that utilizing a full-spectrum Kratom extract produces the most preferable results. All Kratom extracts have a concentration, which commonly refers to the percentage concentration of Mitragynine, whether isolated or full-spectrum.

If you are new to Kratom, you should avoid extracts until you have a better understanding of how normal Kratom powder affects you. Different  Kratom extracts can be taken on their own or combined to an existing Kratom strain for an enhanced result by experienced Kratom users.