Cannabinoids in Nature and Medicine

Originally a special issue of Chemistry & Biodiversity, the first part of this volume focuses on the plant Cannabis sativa, its active ingredients, and the discovery of cannabinoid receptors as well as the therapeutic applications of activating, or blocking, the receptors. Following an overview of t [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

Originally a special issue of Chemistry & Biodiversity, the first part of this volume focuses on the plant Cannabis sativa, its active ingredients, and the discovery of cannabinoid receptors as well as the therapeutic applications of activating, or blocking, the receptors. Following an overview of the plant, its medicinal uses, and its preparations, a link is established between the ancient ethnopharmacognosy related to the recent progress in medical and biological sciences, and there is an examination of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the production of cannabinoids by Cannabis sativa. The next two chapters are devoted to the pharmacological properties of two major phytocannabinoids: D9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, describing the pharmacological mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antitumoral and analgesic effects of D9-THC, while presenting the latest findings in our understanding of the molecular targets and pharmacological mechanisms mediating the action of cannabidiol. There then follows a presentation of the historical background and current state of knowledge of cannabinoid receptors, as well as personal perspectives. Contributors from GW Pharmaceuticals give their insights on the Sativex clinical trials, a cannabis-based medicine approved as an adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in patients with MS. The following chapters deal with the toxicology of cannabis, reviewing acute and chronic side effects, routes of absorption as well as the interpretation of cannabinoid concentrations in biological fluids. while also considering the socio-political problem of cannabis prohibition. The final chapter in this section reviews such clinical situations as obesity, dyslipidemia, addictions, inflammation, and allergies where blocking the cannabinoid receptors might be beneficial.
The second part covers the journey from humans to plants. The first chapter analyses the isolation and elucidation of the structure of anandamide, as well as other endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid congeners. This is followed by a review of biosynthetic pathways leading to the formation of anandamide, and an introduction to those enzymes best characterized so far involved in the hydrolysis of endocannabinoids. The next chapters sum up current knowledge of FAAH-1 and the recently discovered FAAH-2, monoglyceride lipase and NAAA. The final two chapters explore new areas of research into the link between the unbalance of the endocannabinoid system and the genetic polymorphisms of the genes encoding for the receptors and enzymes of the endocannabinoid system, and into our understanding of the 'endocannabinoid' system in plant physiology, highlighting the importance of these signaling molecules throughout evolution.