RECENT interesting findings

[Chimera]

Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for growth stage classification of cannabis cultivated in a greenhouse from seized seeds
Bruna Tassi Borille a,⁎, Marcelo Caetano Alexandre Marcelo b, Rafael Scorsatto Ortiz c
,Kristiane de Cássia Mariotti a, Marco Flôres Ferrão b, Renata Pereira Limberger a
a Laboratory of Analysis and Research in Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil b Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
c Rio Grande do Sul Technical and Scientifical Division, Brazilian Federal Police, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
article info abstract

Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis, Cannabaceae), popularly called marijuana, is one of the oldest plants known to man and it is the illicit drug most used worldwide. It also has been the subject of increasing discussions from the scientific and political points of view due to its medicinal properties. In recent years in Brazil, the form of cannabis drug trafficking has been changing and the Brazilian Federal Police has exponentially increased the number of
seizures of cannabis seeds sent by the mail. This new form of trafficking encouraged the study of cannabis seeds seized germinated in a greenhouse through NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The plants were cultivated in a homemade greenhouse under controlled conditions. In three different growth periods (5.5 weeks, 7.5 weeks and 10 weeks), they were harvested, dried, ground and directly analyzed. The iPCA was used
to select the best NIR spectral range (4000–4375 cm−1) in order to develop unsupervised and supervised methods. The PCA and HCA showed a good separation between the three groups of cannabis samples at different growth stages. The PLS-DA and SVM-DA classified the samples with good results in terms of sensitivity and specificity.
The sensitivity and specificity for SVM-DA classification were equal to unity. This separation may be due to the correlation of cannabinoids and volatile compounds concentration during the growth of the cannabis plant. Therefore, the growth stage of cannabis can be predicted by NIR spectroscopy and chemometric tools in the early stages of indoor cannabis cultivation.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

No comments on this one? I see two people liked it?
-SamS

Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for growth stage classification of cannabis cultivated in a greenhouse from seized seeds
Bruna Tassi Borille a,⁎, Marcelo Caetano Alexandre Marcelo b, Rafael Scorsatto Ortiz c
,Kristiane de Cássia Mariotti a, Marco Flôres Ferrão b, Renata Pereira Limberger a
a Laboratory of Analysis and Research in Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil b Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
c Rio Grande do Sul Technical and Scientifical Division, Brazilian Federal Police, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
article info abstract

Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis, Cannabaceae), popularly called marijuana, is one of the oldest plants known to man and it is the illicit drug most used worldwide. It also has been the subject of increasing discussions from the scientific and political points of view due to its medicinal properties. In recent years in Brazil, the form of cannabis drug trafficking has been changing and the Brazilian Federal Police has exponentially increased the number of
seizures of cannabis seeds sent by the mail. This new form of trafficking encouraged the study of cannabis seeds seized germinated in a greenhouse through NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The plants were cultivated in a homemade greenhouse under controlled conditions. In three different growth periods (5.5 weeks, 7.5 weeks and 10 weeks), they were harvested, dried, ground and directly analyzed. The iPCA was used
to select the best NIR spectral range (4000–4375 cm−1) in order to develop unsupervised and supervised methods. The PCA and HCA showed a good separation between the three groups of cannabis samples at different growth stages. The PLS-DA and SVM-DA classified the samples with good results in terms of sensitivity and specificity.
The sensitivity and specificity for SVM-DA classification were equal to unity. This separation may be due to the correlation of cannabinoids and volatile compounds concentration during the growth of the cannabis plant. Therefore, the growth stage of cannabis can be predicted by NIR spectroscopy and chemometric tools in the early stages of indoor cannabis cultivation.

 

[Betterhaff]

Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB1

Summary

Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) is the principal target of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive chemical from Cannabis sativa with a wide range of therapeutic applications and a long history of recreational use. CB1 is activated by endocannabinoids and is a promising therapeutic target for pain management, inflammation, obesity, and substance abuse disorders. Here, we present the 2.8 Å crystal structure of human CB1 in complex with AM6538, a stabilizing antagonist, synthesized and characterized for this structural study. The structure of the CB1-AM6538 complex reveals key features of the receptor and critical interactions for antagonist binding. In combination with functional studies and molecular modeling, the structure provides insight into the binding mode of naturally occurring CB1 ligands, such as THC, and synthetic cannabinoids. This enhances our understanding of the molecular basis for the physiological functions of CB1 and provides new opportunities for the design of next-generation CB1-targeting pharmaceuticals.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.004

http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)31385-X

 

[chilliwilli]

No comments on this one? I see two people liked it?
-SamS

so someone could use a nir spectrometer to determine when to harvest.

 

[chilliwilli]

hi sam
do you have info about flourescens spectroscopy for thc? could be an cheaper alternative to gc analysis.

 

[chilliwilli]

10 years of cannabis related publicationa

http://www.bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/publicaciones_en.htm

 

[Only Ornamental]

hi sam
do you have info about flourescens spectroscopy for thc? could be an cheaper alternative to gc analysis.

Fluorescence only works in certain cases accurate enough to be used for quantitative determination. Could for example replace the FID in a GC but that ain't really an advantage. Fluorescence is often used for visualising small quantities and THC isn't small quantity.

 

[chilliwilli]

If the quantity is to high for your analysis you just have to dilute your sampel.

Since thc is fluorescent i was wondering if that kind of analysis is used. And i think it is cheaper because you can run more samples in less time imo. That might be a factor on a large scale.

 

[StRa]

Indole alkaloids from hemp seed

Indole alkaloids from hemp seed

Abstract
Hemp seeds from non-drug varieties of Cannabis sativa L. are an important source of food and medicine. In continuation of our ongoing study on hemp seed, two pairs of stereoisomers of diketopiperazine indole alkaloid (12S, 22R)-Dihydroxyisoechinulin A (1), (12S, 22S)-Dihydroxyisoechinulin A (2) and (12R/S)-Neoechinulin A (3) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated with UV, IR, NMR, MS, CD spectra, ECD and chiral HPLC analysis techniques. This type of alkaloid is more often reported from fungi, such as Aspergillus and Eurotium, than from plant sources. Since common molds can contaminate herbal medicines, various hemp seed samples and the metabolites of the main fungi isolated from hemp seed were analyzed using HPLC. The data suggested that the isolated compounds are rare constituents of hemp seed, rather than fungal contamination. Thus, in this study, these compounds were isolated from hemp seed for the first time, and a previous study’s prediction of endogenous indole alkaloids in hemp was confirmed. Meanwhile, Neoechinulin A could promote SIRT1 expression in HEK293 cell lines. SIRT1 is becoming an important drug target for new therapies in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874390016301768

 

[P. Dondrub]

No comments on this one? I see two people liked it?
-SamS

Sam,

My buddies (ag engineers) play with NIR for the crops (non-cannabis) they grow, and have been working towards developing standards. It is incredibly difficult to establish standards effectively without HPLC or other destructive methods of analysis to crosscheck standard validity often. Additionally, the readings are so widely variable that even in large scale ag production (I think he was referencing wheat in this instance) standards are recreated annually (or each cropping season).

With all that said though, if one has rapid and effective methods of qualitative analyses (ie: statistically reproducible/ accurate for desired parameters sensory analyses), and was willing to work with the NIR machines to recalibrate standards frequently based on the qualtitative analyses, the machine could be functional for obtaining information that may be useful. In fact, this offers some advantages as standards for qualitative features like 'harshness' and 'sativa-effect' can be established (again assuming the sensory analysis was accurate) without actually having to know the underlying biochemistry for such features.
\
Still it would require extensive mathematics and due to all the aforementioned issues, would likely only be functionally applicable for massive scale farms due to the frequent calibration and expert knowledge required to use such a system. Unless of course a 3rd party business puts something together... but even if they did who would trust it? I wouldn't without independent verification.....

 

[Bubbleblower]

Cannabis: From Cultivar to Chemovar II—A Metabolomics Approach to Cannabis Classification

Abstract

Introduction: There is a large disparity between the ''cultural'' language used by patients using cannabis for self-medication and the ''chemical'' language applied by scientists to get a deeper understanding of cannabis effects in laboratory and clinical studies. The distinction between Sativa and Indica types of cannabis, and the different biological effects associated with them, is a major example of this. Despite the widespread use of cannabis by self-medicating patients, scientific studies are yet to identify the biochemical markers that can sufficiently explain differences between cannabis varieties.

Methods: A metabolomics approach, combining detailed chemical composition data with cultural information available for a wide range of cannabis samples, can help to bridge the existing gap between scientists and patients. Such an approach could be helpful for decision-making, for example, when identifying which varieties of cannabis should be made legally available under national medicinal cannabis programs. In our study, we analyzed 460 cannabis accessions obtained from multiple sources in The Netherlands, including hemp-and drug-type cannabis.

Results: Based on gas chromatography analysis of 44 major terpenes and cannabinoids present in these samples , followed by Multivariate Data Analysis of the resulting chromatographic data, we were able to identify the cannabis constituents that may act as markers for distinction between Indica and Sativa. This information was subsequently used to map the current chemical diversity of cannabis products available within the Dutch medicinal cannabis program, and to introduce a new variety missing from the existing product range.

Conclusion: This study represents the analysis of the widest range of cannabis constituents published to date. Our results indicate the usefulness of a metabolomics approach for chemotaxonomic mapping of cannabis varieties for medical use.

 

[G.O. Joe]

Quality Control of Traditional Cannabis Tinctures: Pattern, Markers, and Stability
Wieland Peschel
Sci. Pharm. 2016, 84, 567–584
http://www.mdpi.com/2218-0532/84/3/567/pdf

Optimization of Cannabis Grows Using Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy
Brian C. Smith, Mark A. Lewis, Judah Mendez
Perkin-Elmer Inc. 2016
https://www.perkinelmer.com/lab-sol...ier-Transform-Mid-Infrared-Spec_012596_01.pdf

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Opioids Out, Cannabis In Negotiating the Unknowns in Patient Care for Chronic Pain
JAMA November 1, 2016 Volume 316, Number 17 Pg 1763-4
doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.13677

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

The Name of Cannabis: A Short Guide for Nonbotanists
Antonino Pollio
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
Volume 1.1, 2016
DOI: 10.1089/can.2016.0027

Abstract
The genus Cannabis (Family Cannabaceae) is probably indigenous to wet habitats of Asiatic continent. The long coexistence between mankind and Cannabis led to an early domestication of the plant, which soon showed an amazing spectrum of possible utilizations, as a source of textile fibers, as well as narcotic and psychoactive compounds.
Nowadays, the specie(s) belonging to the genus Cannabis are represented by myriads of cultivated varieties, often with unstable taxonomic foundations. The nomenclature of Cannabis has been the object of numerous nomenclatural treatments. Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753) described a single species of hemp, Cannabis sativa, whereas Lamarck (1785) proposed two species of Cannabis: C. sativa, the species largely cultivated in Western Continent, and Cannabis indica, a wild species growing in India and neighboring countries. The dilemma about the existence of the species C. indica considered distinct from C. sativa continues up to present days. Due to their prevalent economic interest, the nomenclatural treatment is particularly important as far as it concerns the cultivated varieties of Cannabis. In this context, we propose to avoid the distinction between sativa
and indica, suggesting a bimodal approach: when a cultivar has been correctly established. It could be advisable to apply a nomenclature system based on the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP): it is not necessary to use the species epithets, sativa or indica, and a combination of the genus name and a cultivar epithet in any language and bounded by single quotation marks define an exclusive name for each
Cannabis cultivar. In contrast, Cannabis varieties named with vernacular names by medical patients and recreational users, and lacking an adequate description as required by ICNCP, should be named as Cannabis strain, followed by their popularized name and without single quotation marks, having in mind that their names have no taxonomical validity.

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/can.2016.0027

 

[Chunkypigs]

The Name of Cannabis: A Short Guide for Nonbotanists
Antonino Pollio
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
Volume 1.1, 2016
DOI: 10.1089/can.2016.0027

Abstract
The genus Cannabis (Family Cannabaceae) is probably indigenous to wet habitats of Asiatic continent. The long coexistence between mankind and Cannabis led to an early domestication of the plant, which soon showed an amazing spectrum of possible utilizations, as a source of textile fibers, as well as narcotic and psychoactive compounds.
Nowadays, the specie(s) belonging to the genus Cannabis are represented by myriads of cultivated varieties, often with unstable taxonomic foundations. The nomenclature of Cannabis has been the object of numerous nomenclatural treatments. Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753) described a single species of hemp, Cannabis sativa, whereas Lamarck (1785) proposed two species of Cannabis: C. sativa, the species largely cultivated in Western Continent, and Cannabis indica, a wild species growing in India and neighboring countries. The dilemma about the existence of the species C. indica considered distinct from C. sativa continues up to present days. Due to their prevalent economic interest, the nomenclatural treatment is particularly important as far as it concerns the cultivated varieties of Cannabis. In this context, we propose to avoid the distinction between sativa
and indica, suggesting a bimodal approach: when a cultivar has been correctly established. It could be advisable to apply a nomenclature system based on the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP): it is not necessary to use the species epithets, sativa or indica, and a combination of the genus name and a cultivar epithet in any language and bounded by single quotation marks define an exclusive name for each
Cannabis cultivar. In contrast, Cannabis varieties named with vernacular names by medical patients and recreational users, and lacking an adequate description as required by ICNCP, should be named as Cannabis strain, followed by their popularized name and without single quotation marks, having in mind that their names have no taxonomical validity.

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/can.2016.0027

Any strain that has not been formally described as a cultivar, for example, the so called Sour diesel, or Granddaddy Purple, should be named as follows: Cannabis strain Sour diesel, or strain Granddaddy Purple, with their popularized name without single quotation marks, having in mind that their names have no taxonomical validity.

the so called cannabis strain 'Stink Panties' deserves quotation marks and you'll know why having smelled her once.

 

[Chunkypigs]

http://www.medicinalgenomics.com/cannmed2016/

You can download each of the presentations, check out at least: RYAN C. LYNCH
MEDICINAL GENOMICS, KEVIN MCKERNAN COURTAGEN LIFE SCIENCES, MARK A. LEWIS
PRESIDENT OF NAPRO RESEARCH, ETHAN RUSSO MEDICAL DIRECTOR PHYTECS, JOSH WURZER SC LABORATORIES, RAPHAEL MECHOULAM KEYNOTE SPEAKER

The future of Cannabis will be DNA marker assisted breeding, these guys are preparing the way, you do not have to use GMO to see the gains their insights will bring to classical breeders like me. The work is amazing, I love the NAPRO approach to Cannabinoid and terpene analysis, it is how to do it today.
-SamS

the presentations at this site are gold. K+

 

[Dankwolf]

Great resource

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Any strain that has not been formally described as a cultivar, for example, the so called Sour diesel, or Granddaddy Purple, should be named as follows: Cannabis strain Sour diesel, or strain Granddaddy Purple, with their popularized name without single quotation marks, having in mind that their names have no taxonomical validity.

the so called cannabis strain 'Stink Panties' deserves quotation marks and you'll know why having smelled her once.

View Image

Yeah that "their names have no taxonomical validity" bothered me too. That just means they don't understand them, everyone here knows that Chocolope, for example, is a cross of Chocolate and Antelope even without looking up anywhere and they know the characteristic traits of the strain as well.
The names have a lot of taxonomic validity to a sophisticated weed pro and the academic stuffed shirts are ignorant and jealous.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Med Res Rev. 2016 Nov 23. doi: 10.1002/med.21418. [Epub ahead of print]
Allosteric Modulation: An Alternate Approach Targeting the Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor.
Nguyen T, Li JX, Thomas BF, Wiley JL, Kenakin TP, Zhang Y.
Abstract
The cannabinoid CB1 receptor is a G protein coupled receptor and plays an important role in many biological processes and physiological functions. A variety of CB1 receptor agonists and antagonists, including endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, and synthetic cannabinoids, have been discovered or developed over the past 20 years. In 2005, it was discovered that the CB1 receptor contains allosteric site(s) that can be recognized by small molecules or allosteric modulators. A number of CB1 receptor allosteric modulators, both positive and negative, have since been reported and importantly, they display pharmacological characteristics that are distinct from those of orthosteric agonists and antagonists. Given the psychoactive effects commonly associated with CB1 receptor agonists and antagonists/inverse agonists, allosteric modulation may offer an alternate approach to attain potential therapeutic benefits while avoiding inherent side effects of orthosteric ligands. This review details the complex pharmacological profiles of these allosteric modulators, their structure-activity relationships, and efforts in elucidating binding modes and mechanisms of actions of reported CB1 allosteric modulators. The ultimate development of CB1 receptor allosteric ligands could potentially lead to improved therapies for CB1-mediated neurological disorders.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Functional Variant Contributes to the Risk for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Strisciuglio C1, Bellini G, Miele E, Martinelli M, Cenni S, Tortora C, Tolone C, Miraglia Del Giudice E, Rossi F.
DOI: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000000755
Abstract
GOALS:
We conducted a case-control association analysis to establish the role of a common CB2 functional variant, Q63R, in the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
BACKGROUND:
Endocannabinoids may limit intestinal inflammation through cannabinoid receptor 1 and/or 2 (CB1, CB2).
STUDY:
We genotyped 217 pediatric IBD patients [112 Crohn's disease (CD), 105 ulcerative colitis (UC)] and 600 controls for the CB2-Q63R variant by Taqman assay. Data were collected from clinical records on age at diagnosis, disease activity, duration and location, extraintestinal manifestations, therapy, clinical relapses, and need for surgery.
RESULTS:
We found a significant association of the CB2-R63 variant with IBD (allele frequencies, P=0.04; genotype distributions, P=0.0006), in particular with CD (allele frequencies, P=0.002; genotype distributions, P=0.00005) and with UC only for genotype distributions (P=0.03). RR carriers showed an increased risk for developing IBD [odds ratio (OR)=1.82; P=0.0002 for IBD; OR=2.02; P=10 for CD; OR=1.63; P=0.02 for UC at 95% confidence interval]. Upon genotype-phenotype evaluation, RR patients showed an increased frequency of moderate-to-severe disease activity at diagnosis in the case of both CD and UC (P=0.01 and P=0.02, respectively) and also an earlier clinical relapse in UC (P=0.04). In UC, all the clinical features related to the CB2 risk allele were still significantly associated with the variant when analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model (P=0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
The CB2-Q63R variant contributes to the risk for pediatric IBD, in particular CD. The R63 variant is associated with a more severe phenotype in both UC and CD. Taken together, our data point toward the involvement of the CB2 receptor in the pathogenesis and clinical features of pediatric IBD.