The paper for the recent buzzy cannabis news that cannabinoids had been detected in another species - Trema micrantha - has dropped. Read on if you want to learn more.
T. micrantha is a member of the plant family Cannabaceae and shared a common ancestor to cannabis and hops (also members) more than 50 MYA. It is a tropical tree species in the Americas, and like cannabis has great pharmacological potential, has both male and female individuals, emits a strong and "unpleasant" odor, and has secretory trichomes on its leaves.
A new study from researchers at Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil investigated T. micrantha trichomes and their chemical potential, including cannabinoids, by sampling trees naturally growing on their campus (posted figure, left side).
They used scanning electron microscopy (figure, top right) to study the surface of secretory trichomes and found two types - a bulbous trichome with a pluricellular head and bicellular stalk, and a filiform one with a bicellular head and stalk. They did a deeper dive with transmission electron microscopy to determine that bulbous secretory trichomes were very similar to capitate-stalked glandular cannabis trichomes except they have a multicellular cap (box).
They also performed light microscopy on secretory trichomes with various reactive dyes to determine chemical content, which included cannabinoids (bottom right). They also included terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolics, lipids, polysaccharides and proteins.
The identification of cannabinoids in other species, especially Cannabaceae is not new. They have been observed in T. micrantha's cousin T. orientalis. Hops produces a wide range of terpenoids and flavonoids. T. micrantha is unlikely to compete in quantity with cannabis because of the lack of a storage cavity in trichomes. As the authors put it:
"The release of the metabolites produced occurs... with gradual accumulation in the periplasmic space and from there to the subcuticular space, which in C. sativa is particularly large, forming what some authors call the trichome cavity. Such a cavity was not observed in the secretory trichomes of T. micrantha."
However, T. micrantha may be an interesting source of novel cannabinoids, terpenoids, and even alkaloids. I would hope and imagine that the current study will be followed up by a chemical analysis. Until then we'll have to wait.
If it is also followed up by a genetics study, that also could be a treasure trove for folks like myself. Ranging from new synthase enzymes and biosynthesis pathways to general evolution of trichomes and cannabis itself.
Do you see other chemical or genetic applications?
#BetterCannabisThroughScience
https://lnkd.in/g4jmSfmQ
Manuscript is behind a paywall
DM me
Edit: removed statement that trace cannabinoids were found in hops and replaced with current statement. On a search of literature I could not find supporting data.
Lecturer at Mangosuthu University of Technology
11moYay congrats 🎉🎉