Constituents of Cannabis Sativa
Constituents of Cannabis Sativa
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa, or hemp) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family. This plant has been used for multiple purposes (medicinal, recreational, seed oil and industrial fiber, etc.) for thousands of years. Its psychoactive and physiologically active constituents, known as cannabinoids, are found in the flowers (and to a lesser extent the leaves, and minimally in the stems, and seeds). The cannabinoids, primarily Δ9-THC, are responsible for the plant’s behavioral and psychotropic effects. There are also non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabigerol (CBG) which have several medicinal properties. The plant cannabis also contains other constituents which belong to diverse classes of natural products. To date there are 545 constituents reported in cannabis. Cannabis and the cannabinoids have potential medical applications in the treatment of a variety of serious illnesses. This chapter presents an overview of the phytochemistry of the cannabis plant and its chemical constituents with particular emphasis on the cannabinoids.
Keywords: cannabis sativa, phytochemistry, natural products, cannabinoids, constituents
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