Planta Med 2016; 82(S 01): S1-S381
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1596181
Abstracts
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Evaluating phytochemical variation in medical marihuana

EM Mudge
1   Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7 Canada
2   Department of Applied Research, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5G 3H2, Canada
,
SJ Murch
1   Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7 Canada
,
PN Brown
2   Department of Applied Research, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5G 3H2, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
14 December 2016 (online)

 

Flowers of Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica L. and hybrids are being consumed for medical purposes including the management of pain, nausea, appetite regulation and spasticity [1]. In 2013, Health Canada approved the production and sale of Cannabis through licensed producers under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). This framework has enabled production and sale of a variety of cultivars. Products are marketed to patients based on the content of the two major prenylated polyketide compounds (cannabinoids) produced in the glandular trichomes on the female inflorescence, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). We recently reported a survey of marketed products on the content of the two major cannabinoids using a validated HPLC method [2] but the full diversity of cannabis phytochemistry remains uncharacterized. The current study describes a non-targeted approach to compare the variance in the major cannabinoids to the entire HPLC-UV chemical profiles at 220nm. The products were grouped based on total CBD and THC contents where less than 2% is low, 2 – 10% is medium and 10%+ is high. A total of 27 distinct peaks were found in the UV chromatograms of the cannabis products. Two products from the low CBD/high THC group containing > 15% THC and 0.3% CBD were not differentiated by the first component of the principle component analysis (PCA) but were differentiated by the second principle component. The loadings plot suggested that the products vary based on cannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabigerolic acid and cannabichromene content as well as several unknown peaks. The variance in phytochemicals other than THC and CBD within Cannabis products could potentially exhibit different activities when consumed by patients. Evaluating Cannabis from a metabolomics perspective can provide information on the overall chemical composition providing significant information to patients and practitioners when selecting these medicinal products.

Keywords: Cannabis, metabolomics, cannabinoids, medical marihuana.

References:

[1] Grant I, Atkinson JH, Gouaux B, Wilsey B. Medical marihuana: clearing away the smoke. Open Neurol J 2012; 6: 18 – 25

[2] Mudge EM, Murch SJ, Brown PN. Quantitation of cannabinoids in medical marihuana flowers and oils. Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Chemistry, Halifax, NS; 2016