| Radula marginata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Marchantiophyta |
| Class: | Jungermanniopsida |
| Order: | Porellales |
| Family: | Radulaceae |
| Genus: | Radula |
| Species: | R. marginata |
| Binomial name | |
| Radula marginata (Hook.f. & Taylor) Gottsche, Lindenb. & Nees | |
Radula marginata, or Wairuakohu, is a species of plant in the genus Radula , [1] a genus of liverworts. It is endemic to New Zealand. [2] [3] It has been found to contain cannabinoids. [4] [5]
The cannabinoid is not THC, the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis, but it is of similar molecular structure. [4] The liverwort contains perrottetinene and perrottetinenic acid. [4] The quantity of cannabinoid present is much less than in cannabis. Perrottetinene has been shown to be a moderately potent CB1 agonist leading to mild psychoactive effects in mice. [6]
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Alternatively, C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa, or all three may be treated as subspecies of C. sativa, or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Asia.
Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not been as rigorously tested as other medicinal plants due to legal and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases.
Cannabinoids are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (delta-9-THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. Cannabidiol (CBD) is also a major constituent of temperate cannabis plants and a minor constituent in tropical varieties. At least 100 distinct phytocannabinoids have been isolated from cannabis, although only four have been demonstrated to have a biogenetic origin. It was reported in 2020 that phytocannabinoids can be found in other plants such as rhododendron, licorice and liverwort, and earlier in Echinacea.
Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous flowering plant. The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The specific epithet sativa means 'cultivated'. Indigenous to Eastern Asia, the plant is now of cosmopolitan distribution due to widespread cultivation. It has been cultivated throughout recorded history and used as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, and medicine. It is also used as a recreational drug and for religious and spiritual purposes.
Cannabinol (CBN) is a mildly psychoactive phytocannabinoid that acts as a low affinity partial agonist at both CB1 and CB2 receptors. This activity at CB1 and CB2 receptors constitutes interaction of CBN with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Tetrahydrocannabivarin is a homologue of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) having a propyl (3-carbon) side chain instead of pentyl (5-carbon), making it non-psychoactive in lower doses. It has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective activity, appetite suppression, glycemic control and reduced side effects compared to THC, making it a potential treatment for management of obesity and diabetes. THCV was studied by Roger Adams as early as 1942.
Cannabis tea is a cannabis-infused drink prepared by steeping various parts of the cannabis plant in hot or cold water. Cannabis tea is commonly recognized as an alternative form of preparation and consumption of the cannabis plant, more popularly known as marijuana, pot, or weed. This plant has long been recognized as an herbal medicine employed by health professionals worldwide to ease symptoms of disease, as well as a psychoactive drug used recreationally and in spiritual traditions. Though less commonly practiced than popular methods like smoking or consuming edibles, drinking cannabis tea can produce comparable physical and mental therapeutic effects. Such effects are largely attributed to the THC and CBD content of the tea, levels of which are drastically dependent on individual preparation techniques involving volume, amount of cannabis, and boiling time. Also in common with these administration forms of cannabis is the heating component performed before usage. Due to the rather uncommon nature of this particular practice of cannabis consumption in modern times as well as the legality of cannabis throughout the world, the research available on the composition of cannabis tea is limited and based broadly around what is known of cannabis as it exists botanically.
Cannabigerol (CBG) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and minor constituent of cannabis. It is one of more than 120 identified cannabinoids found in the plant genus Cannabis. The compound is the decarboxylated form of cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), the parent molecule from which other cannabinoids are biosynthesized.
Radula is a genus of liverwort in the family Radulaceae. The genus includes 248 species of small plants that typically grow as green, scaly patches on tree trunks, logs, or rocks in moist environments. It is distinguished from other liverworts by several unique features, including the production of root-like structures (rhizoids) exclusively from leaf surfaces and characteristic branching patterns. The plants have rounded, overlapping leaves consisting of two unequal lobes, with considerable variation in structure across species. Following a major taxonomic revision in 2022, the genus comprises five subgenera with distributions ranging from tropical to temperate regions. The oldest known fossil species, R. cretacea, found in Burmese amber, dates to the Cenomanian age, though molecular evidence suggests the genus originated in the Triassic period, around 228 million years ago.
Raphael Mechoulam was a Bulgarian-born Israeli organic chemist and a professor in the Department of Natural Materials at the School of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Mechoulam served as Rector of the university from 1979–1982. He was elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 1994 and served as its scientific chair from 2007-2013. He was a recipient of the Israel Prize for Chemistry Research in 2000 and the Harvey Prize for 2019-2020.
Synthetic cannabinoids are a class of designer drug molecules that bind to the same receptors to which cannabinoids in cannabis plants attach. These novel psychoactive substances should not be confused with synthetic phytocannabinoids or synthetic endocannabinoids from which they are in many aspects distinct.
Perrottetinene is a naturally occurring cannabinoid compound found in liverworts from the family Radulaceae native to Japan, New Zealand and Costa Rica, namely Cladoradula perrottetii, Radula marginata and Radula laxiramea, along with a number of similar compounds. Its chemical structure closely resembles that of THC, the main active component of marijuana but with a cis rather than trans conformation and a bibenzyl tailchain instead of pentyl. The absolute configuration of perrottetinene was established in 2008 by an enantioselective total synthesis.
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of THCA from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). THCA is the direct precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component of cannabis, which is produced from various strains of Cannabis sativa. Therefore, THCA synthase is considered to be a key enzyme controlling cannabis psychoactivity. Polymorphisms of THCA synthase result in varying levels of THC in Cannabis plants, resulting in "drug-type" and "fiber-type" C. sativa varieties.
Cannabinodiol (CBND), also known as cannabidinodiol, cannabinoid that is present in the plant Cannabis sativa at low concentrations. It is the fully aromatized derivative of cannabidiol (CBD) and can occur as a product of the photochemical conversion of cannabinol (CBN).
Cladoradula perrottetii is a species of liverwort is the family Radulaceae. It is distributed across tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia, occurring in Thailand, Sumatra, Taiwan and Japan. It contains the small molecule perrottetinene, a cannabinoid, and other secondary metabolites of scientific interest including marchantin A.
Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is the acidic form of cannabigerol (CBG). It is a dihydroxybenzoic acid and olivetolic acid in which the hydrogen at position 3 is substituted by a geranyl group. It is a biosynthetic precursor to Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the principal psychoactive constituent of the Cannabis plant. It is also a meroterpenoid, a member of resorcinols and a phytocannabinoid. It derives from an olivetolic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a cannabigerolate.
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a hydrogenated derivative of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is a naturally occurring phytocannabinoid that has rarely been identified as a trace component in Cannabis sativa, but can also be produced synthetically by firstly acid cyclization of cannabidiol and then hydrogenation of tetrahydrocannabinol. The synthesis and bioactivity of HHC was first reported in 1940 by Roger Adams.
Cannabicitran (CBTC) is a phytocannabinoid first isolated in 1974 as a trace component of Cannabis sativa. Structurally related compounds can be found in some other plants. It is not psychoactive, but was found to reduce intraocular pressure in tests on rabbits, which may reflect agonist activity at the NAGly receptor that is known to be a target of many structurally related cannabinoids.
Cannabigerovarin (CBGV), the propyl homolog of cannabigerol (CBG), is a cannabinoid present in Cannabis. There is no observation related to the psychoactive or psychotropic effects of CBGV when consumed or inhaled. The possible benefits of cannabigerovarin in human bodies are painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties to treat conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis, the treatment and improvement of the dry-skin syndrome, cancer treatment by reducing the growth of cancer cells in patients who have leukemia. According to the pain-relieving effects of this natural cannabinoid, it can be helpful to treat patients who were undergoing drug exposure like chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In addition, cannabigerol metabolism increases and has a better absorption from the body when paired with cannabigerovarin.
Cannabinoids are compounds found in the cannabis plant or synthetic compounds that can interact with the endocannabinoid system. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Delta-9-THC), the primary intoxicating compound in cannabis. Cannabidiol (CBD) is another major constituent of some cannabis plants. Conversion of CBD to THC can occur when CBD is heated to temperatures between 250–300 °C, potentially leading to its partial transformation into THC.
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