“Phytocannabinoids are bioactive natural products found in some flowering plants, liverworts, and fungi that can be beneficial for the treatment of human ailments such as pain, anxiety, and cachexia. Targeted biosynthesis of cannabinoids with desirable properties requires identification of the underlying genes and their expression in a suitable heterologous host. We provide an overview of the structural classification of phytocannabinoids based on their decorated resorcinol core and the bioactivities of naturally occurring cannabinoids, and we review current knowledge of phytocannabinoid biosynthesis in Cannabis, Rhododendron, and Radula species. We also highlight the potential in planta roles of phytocannabinoids and the opportunity for synthetic biology approaches based on combinatorial biochemistry and protein engineering to produce cannabinoid derivatives with improved properties.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32646718/
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1360138520301874
“Deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide in the brain is the leading source of the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies have suggested that anti-amyloidogenic agents may be a suitable therapeutic strategy for AD.
“Cannabinoids may have an important therapeutic potential for the treatment of dependence on crack cocaine.
“Like most modern molecular biology and natural product chemistry, understanding cannabinoid pharmacology centers around molecular interactions, in this case, between the cannabinoids and their putative targets, the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). Understanding the complex structure and interplay between the partners in this molecular dance is required to understand the mechanism of action of synthetic, endogenous, and phytochemical cannabinoids. This review, with 91 references, surveys our understanding of the structural biology of the cannabinoids and their target receptors including both a critical comparison of the extant crystal structures and the computationally derived homology models, as well as an in-depth discussion about the binding modes of the major cannabinoids. The aim is to assist in situating structural biochemists, synthetic chemists, and molecular biologists who are new to the field of cannabis research.”
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid derived from Cannabis sativa. CBD initially drew scientific interest due to its anticonvulsant properties but increasing evidence of other therapeutic effects has attracted the attention of additional clinical and non-clinical populations, including athletes.
“Objectives: To investigate the action of cannabinoids on spasticity and pain in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, by means of neurophysiological indexes.
“Hempseeds, the edible fruits of the Cannabis sativa L. plant, were initially considered a by-product of the hemp technical fibre industry. Nowadays, following the restorationing of the cultivation of C. sativa L. plants containing an amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) <0.3% or 0.2% (industrial hemp) there is a growing interest for the hempseeds production due to their high nutritional value and functional features.
“Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening complication that can ensue following Staphylococcus aureus infection. The enterotoxin produced by these bacteria (SEB) acts as a superantigen thereby activating a large proportion of T cells leading to cytokine storm and severe lung injury.
“Embase and Pubmed were systematically searched for articles addressing the neuroprotective properties of phytocannabinoids, aside from cannabidiol and Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, including Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9 -THCA), Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ9 -THCV), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerivarin (CBGV), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA), cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA) cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) and cannabinol (CBN).