South African Plant Helichrysum Umbraculigerum Found to Produce Unique Cannabinoids
Researchers discover Helichrysum Umbraculigerum produces cannabinoids similar to cannabis, offering new potential for medical applications
Key Points
- 1Helichrysum Umbraculigerum produces over 40 cannabinoids
- 2Research led by Dr. Shirley Berman from Weizmann Institute
- 3Cannabinoids are found in the plant's leaves, not flowers
- 4Potential for new medical applications and synthetic production
- 5Advanced techniques used to map genome and identify compounds
A groundbreaking discovery by researchers at Israel's Weizmann Institute has revealed that the South African plant Helichrysum Umbraculigerum produces a variety of cannabinoids typically associated with cannabis. This finding, published in Nature Plants, identified over 40 different cannabinoids in the plant, some of which may have potential medical applications
The research team, led by Dr. Shirley Berman, detailed the biochemical processes the plant uses to produce these compounds. These processes can potentially be replicated in laboratory settings, offering a new avenue for synthesizing cannabinoids. "We have found a significant new source of cannabinoids and developed tools for their long-term production," Dr. Berman told the Jerusalem Post
While previous studies in 1979 had identified the presence of cannabigerol (CBG) in the plant, the new research confirmed this and also detected CBGa, the precursor to CBG. However, the study did not find CBD or THC, the primary psychoactive compounds in cannabis. The researchers used advanced techniques such as high-resolution mass spectrometry to map the plant's genome and identify the cannabinoids present
The study highlights the plant's unique production of cannabinoids in its leaves, contrasting with cannabis, which primarily produces these compounds in its flowers. Despite this difference, the enzymes involved in the production process are from similar families, suggesting convergent evolution in the ability to produce cannabinoids
Looking forward, the research team is excited about exploring the therapeutic potential of the newly discovered cannabinoids. Future studies aim to understand their properties and how they might be used in medical applications. This discovery opens up possibilities for creating cannabinoids that do not exist in nature, potentially leading to new treatments