Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2024 Oct 30. doi: 10.1089/can.2024.0058. Online
ahead  of print.

Minor Cannabinoid Profile of Unregulated Cannabidiol Products.

Johnson E(1), Kilgore M(2), Nuzzo P(3), Babalonis S(3)(4).

Author information:
(1)LGC Assure, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
(2)College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, 
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
(3)College of Medicine, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Cannabis Center, 
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
(4)College of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Science, University of 
Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

Background: Although the majority of cannabinoid research has focused on 
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), there is increasing 
interest in the therapeutic effects of other phytocannabinoid compounds (i.e., 
minor cannabinoids), as there is little known about their effects or interaction 
with CBD. The current study objective was to determine the concentrations of 15 
minor cannabinoids in unregulated, over-the-counter CBD products. Methods: A 
cross-section sample of 80 local and national brands of hemp-derived oil 
products was purchased both online and in local retail outlets in central 
Kentucky. Epidiolex® was included as a regulated control. Samples from each 
product were extracted by solvent extraction and quantified by 
liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. The targeted cannabinoids were: 
cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabidivarinic acid, 
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid, 
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A, Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), cannabigerol 
(CBG), cannabigerolic acid, cannabinol (CBN), cannabinolic acid, cannabicyclol 
(CBL), cannabicyclolic acid, cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabichromenic acid. 
Results: Among the unregulated products included in this analysis, the most 
frequently detected minor cannabinoids were CBDV (100% of samples tested), CBG 
(77%), CBC (72%), CBN (67%), CBL (67%), and CBDA (51%). Δ8-THC was not detected 
in any of the products tested. Concentrations of these cannabinoids varied 
widely from trace concentrations to several mg/mL (e.g., CBDA: 0.006-12.258 
mg/mL). Conclusions: These data indicate CBD products often contain minor 
cannabinoids, although the array and concentrations of these cannabinoids vary 
widely across products. The concentrations of these minor cannabinoids are 
largely absent from product labels, leaving consumers uninformed about product 
contents.

DOI: 10.1089/can.2024.0058
PMID: 39478329


2. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 16;14(1):16411. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66420-3.

Comparison of decarboxylation rates of acidic cannabinoids between secretory 
cavity contents and air-dried inflorescence extracts in Cannabis sativa cv. 
'Cherry Wine'.

Kim ES(1), Park SH(2), Kinney CA(2)(3), Olejar KJ(3), Corredor-Perilla IC(2).

Author information:
(1)Institute of Cannabis Research, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Pueblo, CO, 
81001, USA. eunsoo.kim@csupueblo.edu.
(2)Institute of Cannabis Research, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Pueblo, CO, 
81001, USA.
(3)Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Pueblo, CO, 81001, 
USA.

Studies with secretory cavity contents and air-dried inflorescence extracts of 
the CBD-rich hemp strain, Cannabis sativa cv. 'Cherry Wine', were conducted to 
compare the decarboxylation rates of acidic cannabinoids between two groups. The 
secretory cavity contents acquired from the capitate-stalked glandular trichomes 
by glass microcapillaries, and inflorescence samples air-dried for 15 days of 
storage in darkness at room temperature were analysed by high-pressure liquid 
chromatography. The ratio of acidic cannabinoids to the total cannabinoids was 
ranging from 0.5% to 2.4% lower in the air-dried inflorescence samples compared 
to the secretory cavity samples as follows. In the secretory cavity content, the 
percentage of acidic cannabinoids to the total cannabinoids was measured as 
86.4% cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), 6.5% tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), 4.3% 
cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), 1.4% cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), and 0.6% 
cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), respectively. In the air-dried inflorescence, 
however, the acidic cannabinoids were detected with 84% CBDA, 4.8% THCA, 3.3% 
CBCA, 0.8% CBGA, and 0.3% Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (Δ9-THCVA), 
respectively. The ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) to cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) was 
close to 1:99 (w/w) in secretory cavity contents, however, it was roughly 1:20 
(w/w) in the air-dried inflorescence. In addition, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin 
(Δ9-THCV) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (Δ9-THCVA) were only detected in 
the air-dried inflorescence sample, and the ratio of Δ9-THCV to Δ9-THCVA was 
about 1:20 (w/w). Besides, cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) was only observed in 
the secretory cavity content.

© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the 
US; foreign copyright protection may apply.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66420-3
PMCID: PMC11252385
PMID: 39013926 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.


3. Anal Chim Acta. 2024 Jun 1;1306:342621. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.342621. Epub 
2024 Apr 17.

In vivo profiling of phytocannabinoids in Cannabis spp. varieties via SPME-LC-MS 
analysis.

Woźniczka K(1), Trojan V(2), Urbanowicz K(3), Schreiber P(4), Zadrożna J(1), 
Bączek T(1), Smoleński RT(3), Roszkowska A(5).

Author information:
(1)Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical 
University of Gdańsk, Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland.
(2)Cannabis Facility, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's 
University Hospital, Pekarská 53, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of 
Natural Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, Palackého 1946/1, 61200, 
Brno, Czech Republic.
(3)Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of 
Gdańsk, Dębinki 1, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland.
(4)Cannabis Facility, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's 
University Hospital, Pekarská 53, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic.
(5)Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical 
University of Gdańsk, Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: 
anna.roszkowska@gumed.edu.pl.

BACKGROUND: In vivo solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a minimally invasive, 
non-exhaustive sample-preparation technique that facilitates the direct 
isolation of low molecular weight compounds from biological matrices in living 
systems. This technique is especially useful for the analysis of 
phytocannabinoids (PCs) in plant material, both for forensic purposes and for 
monitoring the PC content in growing Cannabis spp. plants. In contrast to 
traditional extraction techniques, in vivo SPME enables continuous tracking of 
the changes in the level of PCs during plant growth without the need for plant 
material collection. In this study, in vivo SPME utilizing biocompatible C18 
probes and liquid-chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of flight mass 
spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) is proposed as a novel strategy for the extraction 
and analysis of the acidic forms of five PCs in growing medicinal cannabis 
plants.
RESULTS: The SPME method was optimized by testing various parameters, including 
the extraction phase (coating), extraction and desorption times, and the 
extraction temperature. The proposed method was validated with satisfactory 
analytical performance regarding linearity (10-3000 ng/mL), limits of 
quantification, and precision (relative standard deviations below 5.5 %). The 
proposed method was then successfully applied for the isolation of five acidic 
forms of PCs, which are main components of growing medicinal cannabis plants. As 
a proof-of-concept, SPME probes were statically inserted into the inflorescences 
of two varieties of Cannabis spp. plants (i.e., CBD-dominant and 
Δ9-THC-dominant) cultivated under controlled conditions for 30 min extraction of 
tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerolic 
acid (CBGA), cannabiviarinic acid (CBVA), and tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid 
(THCVA).
SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: The results confirmed that the developed 
SPME-LC-Q-TOF-MS method is a precise and efficient tool that enables direct and 
rapid isolation and analysis of PCs under in vivo conditions. The proposed 
methodology is highly appealing option for monitoring the metabolic pathways and 
compositions of multiple PCs in medicinal cannabis at different stages of plant 
growth.

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.342621
PMID: 38692790 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.


4. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 22;14(1):4343. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54805-3.

Anti-staphylococcal activity of soilless cultivated cannabis across the whole 
vegetation cycle under various nutritional treatments in relation to cannabinoid 
content.

Malikova L(1)(2), Malik M(3), Pavlik J(4), Ulman M(4), Pechouckova E(5)(6), 
Skrivan M(6), Kokoska L(7), Tlustos P(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, 
Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00, 
Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic. malikovalucie@af.czu.cz.
(2)Department of Nutritional Physiology and Animal Product Quality, Institute of 
Animal Science, 104 00, Prague-Uhrineves, Czech Republic. 
malikovalucie@af.czu.cz.
(3)Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of 
Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences 
Prague, 165 00, Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
(4)Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Economics and Management, 
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00, Prague-Suchdol, Czech 
Republic.
(5)Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, 
Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00, 
Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
(6)Department of Nutritional Physiology and Animal Product Quality, Institute of 
Animal Science, 104 00, Prague-Uhrineves, Czech Republic.
(7)Department of Crop Science and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical 
AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00, Prague-Suchdol, 
Czech Republic.

Antibiotic resistance in staphylococcal strains and its impact on public health 
and agriculture are global problems. The development of new anti-staphylococcal 
agents is an effective strategy for addressing the increasing incidence of 
bacterial resistance. In this study, ethanolic extracts of Cannabis sativa L. 
made from plant parts harvested during the whole vegetation cycle under various 
nutritional treatments were assessed for in vitro anti-staphylococcal effects. 
The results showed that all the cannabis extracts tested exhibited a certain 
degree of growth inhibition against bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 
including antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-sensitive forms. The highest 
antibacterial activity of the extracts was observed from the 5th to the 13th 
week of plant growth across all the nutritional treatments tested, with minimum 
inhibitory concentrations ranging from 32 to 64 µg/mL. Using HPLC, 
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) was identified as the most abundant 
cannabinoid in the ethanolic extracts. A homolog of THCA, 
tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA), reduced bacterial growth by 74%. These 
findings suggest that the cannabis extracts tested in this study can be used for 
the development of new anti-staphylococcal compounds with improved efficacy.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54805-3
PMCID: PMC10881570
PMID: 38383569 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.


5. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2024 Aug;9(4):e1091-e1107. doi:
10.1089/can.2022.0335.  Epub 2023 Oct 5.

Validation and Quantitation of Fifteen Cannabinoids in Cannabis and Marketed 
Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet/Photodiode 
Array Method.

Elhendawy MA(1)(2), Radwan MM(3), Ibrahim EA(3)(4), Wanas AS(3), Chandra S(3), 
Godfrey M(1), ElSohly MA(3)(5).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, 
University, Mississippi, USA.
(2)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, 
Damietta, Egypt.
(3)National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University 
of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.
(4)Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry Department, Suez Canal University, 
Ismailia, Egypt.
(5)Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, University of Mississippi, 
University, Mississippi, USA.

Background: Cannabis sativa is a psychoactive plant indigenous to Central and 
South Asia, traditionally used both for recreational and religious purposes, in 
addition to folk medicine. Cannabis is a rich source of natural compounds, the 
most important of which are commonly known as cannabinoids that cause a variety 
of effects through interaction with the endocannabinoid system. Materials and 
Methods: In this study, a high-performance liquid 
chromatography-ultraviolet/photodiode array (PDA) method was developed and 
validated for the analysis of 15 cannabinoids in cannabis plant materials and 
cannabis-based marketed products. These cannabinoids are cannabidivarinic acid, 
cannabidivarin, cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerol, 
cannabidiol, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic 
acid, cannabinol, delta-9-tetrahyrocannabinol, delta-8-tetrahyrocannabinol, 
cannabicyclol, cannabichromene, delta-9-tetrahyrocannabinolic acid A, and 
cannabichromenic acid. The separation was carried out using a reversed-phase 
Luna® C18(2) column and a mobile phase consisting of 75% acetonitrile and 0.1% 
formic acid in water. A PDA detector was used, and data were extracted at 
λ=220 nm. Principal component analysis of cannabis four varieties was performed. 
Results: The method was linear over the calibration range of 5-75 μg/mL with 
R2>0.999 for all cannabinoids. This method was sensitive and gave good baseline 
separation of all examined cannabinoids with limits of detection ranging between 
0.2 and 1.6 μg/mL and limits of quantification ranging between 0.6 and 
4.8 μg/mL. The average recoveries for all cannabinoids were between 81% and 
104%. The measured repeatability and intermediate precisions (% relative 
standard deviation) in all varieties ranged from 0.35% to 9.84% and 1.11% to 
5.26%, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed method is sensitive, selective, 
reproducible, and accurate. It can be applied for the simultaneous determination 
of these cannabinoids in the C. sativa biomass and cannabis-derived marketed 
products.

DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0335
PMID: 37797227 [Indexed for MEDLINE]