What Are Kanna Alkaloids?

Understanding Kanna

Kanna plants in the Sceletium genus comprise several species, which were used traditionally by indigenous groups in southern Africa for everything from mood elevation to establishing a sense of calm.  South Africans traditionally used Kanna by chewing or fermenting the leaves. 

The Key Alkaloids Responsible for Kanna Effects

For centuries, South African communities have been ingesting Kanna plants to assist with mood, wellness, calm, relaxation, and euphoria. Kanna contains up to 9 alkaloids, but mesembrine is the strongest, known for its mood-boosting benefits. 

This article reviews Kanna’s key alkaloids, highlighting mesembrine and its effects.

Kanna’s Key Alkaloids

Kanna contains up to nine alkaloids responsible for its wellness-enhancing properties.

The four alkaloids: mesembrine, mesembrenol, mesembrenone and mesembranol are the most researched.  

‍Mesembrine

Mesembrine is Kanna’s main active compound contributing to Kanna’s mood-enhancing effects. It is most effective at creating feelings of well-being, calm, happiness, opening the heart, clearer thinking and achieving a better night’s sleep.

Despite being the key compound, it is not always the dominant one in terms of concentration.  ‍

Mesembrenone

This alkaloid is present in higher concentrations in some strains of Kanna.  It acts with less strength than mesembrine.  Mesembrenone’s strength is that it can be very effective at enhancing mood and improving mental sharpness.

Mesembrenol

Mesembrenol contributes to Kanna’s overall effects, by helping to manage mood and creating a sense of calm.

 

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