Kratom: Antimicrobial Effects
That being said, kratom has to be used intelligently. It should not be combined with other medicines without doing your research to make sure the combination is safe. On that note, be aware that the combination of Cinchona officinalis and kratom can be positive for the treatment of infection at home. Cinchona potentiates the pain-killing and cough-suppressing effects of kratom while protecting the body’s blood supply from pathogens that try to steal the iron found in hemoglobin. By protecting the blood supply and our iron, Cinchona is able to prevent most pathogens that cause infection from gaining a foothold in the body. Meanwhile kratom has direct antibiotic effects against many different types of pathogens.
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Kratom has been studied scientifically for its effects against certain pathogens including:- Gram Positive Bacteria:
Kratom’s antimicrobial activity is due to several alkaloids including mitragynine, speciociliatine, and corynantheidine, polyphenols, and flavonoids.The herb is able to disrupt bacterial cell membranes and inhibit cell wall synthesis. It has also been able to interfere with bacterial enzymes. Gram positive bacteria tend to be more susceptible to treatment with kratom than Gram negative bacteria.
- Staphylococcus aureus (including some methicillin-resistant strains)
- Staphylococcus epidermis
- Bacillus subtilis
- Bacillus cereus
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Enterococcus faecalis
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- Gram Negative Bacteria:
Gram negative bacteria tend to be somewhat less susceptible, yet still responsive to treatment with kratom.
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- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Salmonella typhi and Salmonella typhimurium
- Pseudomona aeruginosa (activity against this pathogen may be less pronounced than against Gram positive bacteria)
- Proteus mirabilis
- Actinetobacter baumannii
- Shigella
- Vibrio cholerae
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- Fungi:
Studies have shown that kratom functions as an antifungal by disrupting fungal cell membranes.
- Candida albicans
- Aspergillus niger
- Aspergillus flavus
- Trichophyton rubrum
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- Dermatophytes
- Fusarium species
- Parasites and Helminths:
As an antiparasitic, kratom has demonstrated nicotinic effects. Many antiparasitic medicines such as wild tobacco or ivermectin work by overstimulating nicotinic receptors in parasites.
- Strongyloides stercoralis larvae
- Nematocidal activity
- Malaria / Plasmodium species (Mitragyna parvifolia has more documented antimalarial activity).
- Viruses
The antiviral capability of kratom has not been studied as extensively as other microbes. Nonetheless, some studies have shown anti-:HIV effects as well as anti-HSV effect, thus we might expect that, in the future, studies will show that kratom has some powerful antiviral effects in general.
- HIV
- Herpes Simplex Virus / HSV
- Anti-biofilm Activity
Kratom seems to have anti-biofilm activity that could explain some of its pain-relieving effects as well. People who have chronic pain due to low-level infection that is maintained, to some extent, through the production of biofilm, may see eventual relief from chronic pain with long-term kratom treatment. Bio-film producing bacteria tend to be resistant to conventional antibiotics, yet kratom has the ability to overcome bio-film naturally.
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Resources:
• Swogger, M. T. et al. (2022). Understanding Kratom Use: A Guide for Healthcare Providers. Retrieved May 14, 2026 from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.801855/full?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
• Alford, A. S. et al. (2025). Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Mitragynine and Corynoxeine: Kratom-Derived Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids for Pain Management. Retrieved May 20, 2023 from https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/222
• Annuar, N. A. K. et al. (2024). An insight review on the neuropharmacological effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of mitragynine. Retrieved May 20, 2026 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332224000155
• Nakaphan, Thanat, et. al. (2016). Traditional Use of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) among Folk Healers in Southern Thailand. Retrieved August 24, 2025 from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JTTAM/issue/view/7119
• Annas, S. et al. (2020). Antipyretic Effect of Mitragynine and Crude Methanolic Extract of Mitragyna speciosa Korth. in Mice. Retrieved May 26, 2026 from http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/resources/files/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JTAS%20Vol.%2043%20(2)%20May.%202020/08%20JTAS-1896-2019.pdf
• Hill, R. et al. (2022). The respiratory depressant effects of mitragynine are limited by its conversion to 7-OH mitragynine. Retrieved May 26, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9314834/
