Cannabis flavonoids 30 times more effective than aspirin
Researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada have pinpointed how the cannabis plant produces vital pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.
The scientists have pioneered the potential to create a naturally derived pain treatment that would offer powerful relief without the risk of addiction that comes with other pain medications.
“There’s clearly a need to develop alternatives for relief of acute and chronic pain that go beyond opioids,” said Prof. Tariq Akhtar, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, who worked on the study with MCB professor Steven Rothstein. “These molecules are non-psychoactive and they target the inflammation at the source, making them ideal painkillers.”
Integrating biochemistry and genomics, the researchers were able to determine how cannabis creates cannflavin A and cannflavin B, two crucial molecules known as “flavonoids” that provide highly effective anti-inflammatory benefits.
Steven RothsteinThe molecules were first identified in 1985 when research verified they provide anti-inflammatory benefits that were nearly 30 times more effective gram-for-gram than acetylsalicylic acid (sold as Aspirin).
Further research into the molecules was hindered for decades in part because cannabis research was highly regulated. However, the legalization of cannabis in Canada and advancement in genomics research, allowed Akhtar and Rothstein to analyze cannabis to understand how Cannabis sativa biosynthesizes cannflavins.
“Our objective was to better understand how these molecules are made, which is a relatively straightforward exercise these days,” Akhtar said. “There are many sequenced genomes that are publicly available, including the genome of Cannabis sativa, which can be mined for information. If you know what you’re looking for, one can bring genes to life, so to speak, and piece together how molecules like cannflavins A and B are assembled.”
Using the genomic information available, they applied classical biochemistry techniques to establish which cannabis genes were needed to create cannflavins A and B. Their full findings were recently published in the journal Phytochemistry.
These discoveries present the opportunity to create powerful natural health products that contain these important molecules.
“Being able to offer a new pain relief option is exciting, and we are proud that our work has the potential to become a new tool in the pain relief arsenal,” said Rothstein.
Currently, many that suffer from chronic pain turn to opioids, which work by blocking the brain’s pain receptors but carry the risk of significant side effects and addiction. Cannflavins target pain with a different approach, by reducing inflammation, and carry no risk of dependence.
Also promising is that the discoveries suggest the treatment may have long-lasting effects. The researchers found that the majority of the therapeutic benefits were considerable five weeks after the end of treatment.
Because the cannabis plant produces such a small amount of the molecules, the scientists are working to engineer a system to create them on a much larger scale.
“The problem with these molecules is that they are present in cannabis at such low levels, so it’s not feasible to try to engineer the cannabis plant to create more of these substances,” said Rothstein. “We are now working to develop a biological system to create these molecules, which would give us the opportunity to engineer large quantities.”
The team is collaborating with a Toronto-based company, Anahit International Corp., which has licensed a patent from the University of Guelph to biosynthesize cannflavin A and B apart from the cannabis plant.
“Anahit looks forward to working closely with the University of Guelph researchers to develop effective and safe anti-inflammatory medicines from cannabis phytochemicals that would provide an alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” said Anahit chief operating officer Darren Carrigan.
“Anahit will commercialize the application of cannflavin A and B to be accessible to consumers through a variety of medical and athletic products such as creams, pills, sports drinks, transdermal patches, and other innovative options.”
There’s still a long road ahead, but the development of new pain-relief alternatives is on the horizon.
Source: University of GuelphLink to study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942218303819