Category Archives: Uncategorized

Marijuana Ingredients Show Promise In Battling Superbugs

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“Substances in marijuana show promise for fighting deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections, including so-called “superbugs,” without causing the drug’s mood-altering effects, scientists in Italy and the United Kingdom are reporting.

Besides serving as infection-fighting drugs, the substances also could provide a more environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic antibacterial substances now widely used in personal care items, including soaps and cosmetics, they say.

In the new study, Giovanni Appendino and colleagues point out that scientists have known for years that marijuana contains antibacterial substances. However, little research has been done on those ingredients, including studies on their ability to fight antibiotic resistant infections, the scientists say.

To close that gap, researchers tested five major marijuana ingredients termed cannabinoids on different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a “superbug” increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

All five substances showed potent germ-killing activity against these drug-resistant strains, as did some synthetic non-natural cannabinoids, they say. The scientists also showed that these substances appear to kill bacteria by different mechanisms than conventional antibiotics, making them more likely to avoid bacterial resistance, the scientists note. At least two of the substances have no known mood-altering effects, suggesting that they could be developed into marijuana-based drugs without causing a “high.””

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908103045.htm

Biologically active cannabinoids from high-potency Cannabis sativa.

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Journal of Natural Products

“Nine new cannabinoids (1-9) were isolated from a high-potency variety of Cannabis sativa. Their structures were identified as (+/-)-4-acetoxycannabichromene (1), (+/-)-3”-hydroxy-Delta((4”,5”))-cannabichromene (2), (-)-7-hydroxycannabichromane (3), (-)-7R-cannabicoumarononic acid A (4), 5-acetyl-4-hydroxycannabigerol (5), 4-acetoxy-2-geranyl-5-hydroxy-3-n-pentylphenol (6), 8-hydroxycannabinol (7), 8-hydroxycannabinolic acid A (8), and 2-geranyl-5-hydroxy-3-n-pentyl-1,4-benzoquinone (9) through 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, GC-MS, and HRESIMS. The known sterol beta-sitosterol-3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-6′-acetate was isolated for the first time from cannabis. Compounds 6 and 7 displayed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities, respectively, while 5 displayed strong antileishmanial activity.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19344127

“Biologically Active Cannabinoids from High-Potency Cannabis sativa”  http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np900067k

Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study.

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Journal of Natural Products

“Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has long been known to contain antibacterial cannabinoids, whose potential to address antibiotic resistance has not yet been investigated. All five major cannabinoids (cannabidiol (1b), cannabichromene (2), cannabigerol (3b), Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (4b), and cannabinol (5)) showed potent activity against a variety of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains of current clinical relevance.

Activity was remarkably tolerant to the nature of the prenyl moiety, to its relative position compared to the n-pentyl moiety (abnormal cannabinoids), and to carboxylation of the resorcinyl moiety (pre-cannabinoids). Conversely, methylation and acetylation of the phenolic hydroxyls, esterification of the carboxylic group of pre-cannabinoids, and introduction of a second prenyl moiety were all detrimental for antibacterial activity.

Taken together, these observations suggest that the prenyl moiety of cannabinoids serves mainly as a modulator of lipid affinity for the olivetol core, a per se poorly active antibacterial pharmacophore, while their high potency definitely suggests a specific, but yet elusive, mechanism of activity.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18681481

“Antibacterial Cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: A Structure−Activity Study”  http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np8002673

Antibacterial activity of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.

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Image result for Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. journal

“The minimum inhibiting concentrations (MIC) of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) for staphylococci and streptococci in broth are in the range of 1-5 mug/ml.

In the same range, both compounds are also bactericidal.

In media containing 4% serum or 5% blood the antibacterial activity is strongly reduced (MIC 50 mug/ml). Gram-negative bacteria are resistant to THC and CBD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1085130

Expression, surface immobilization, and characterization of functional recombinant cannabinoid receptor CB2.

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Human peripheral cannabinoid receptor CB2, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in regulation of immune response has become an important target for pharmaceutical drug development.

 Structural and functional studies on CB2 may benefit from immobilization of the purified and functional receptor onto a suitable surface at a controlled density and, preferably in a uniform orientation. The goal of this project was to develop a generic strategy for preparation of functional recombinant CB2 and immobilization at solid interfaces. Expression of CB2 as a fusion with Rho-tag (peptide composed of the last nine amino acids of rhodopsin) in E. coli was evaluated in terms of protein levels, accessibility of the tag, and activity of the receptor. The structural integrity of CB2 was tested by ligand binding to the receptor solubilized in detergent micelles, captured on tag-specific monoclonal 1D4 antibody-coated resin. Highly pure and functional CB2 was obtained by sequential chromatography on a 1D4- and Ni-NTA- resin and its affinity to the 1D4 antibody characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Either the purified receptor or fusion CB2 from the crude cell extract was captured onto a 1D4 -coated CM4 chip (Biacore) in a quantitative fashion at uniform orientation as demonstrated by the SPR signal. Furthermore, the accessibility of the extracellular surface of immobilized CB2 and the affinity of interaction with a novel monoclonal antibody NAA-1 was studied by SPR.

 In summary, we present an integral strategy for purification, surface immobilization, ligand- and antibody binding studies of functional cannabinoid receptor CB2.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23777860

Drug War Blocking Potential Treatments for Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Journal Claims – TIME

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“Potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and many other illnesses are being blocked by anti-drug laws, according to a new editorial review published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.”

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Acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol blocks gastric hemorrhages induced by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium in mice.

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“Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are among the most widely used analgesics in the world, cause gastrointestinal inflammation that is potentially life-threatening.

Although inhibitors of endocannabinoid catabolic enzymes protect against gastropathy in fasted NSAID-treated mice, the gastroprotective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, have yet to be investigated…

 These data indicate that the phytocannabinoid Δ9-THC protects against diclofenac-induced gastric inflammatory tissue damage at doses insufficient to cause common cannabinoid side effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23769745

Banning Psychedelic Drugs Hurts Research, Scientists Say

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“Restricting the use of psychoactive drugs in research represents the most serious case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus and Galileo, some scientists say.” 

psychedelic smoke

 
  

“In a paper published online today (June 12) in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, a group of researchers argues that drug laws enacted in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s have hindered vital research into the drugs’ functions and therapeutic uses.”

More: http://www.livescience.com/37365-drugs-bans-restrict-research.html

Drug laws ‘hit medical research’

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“International drug laws have set back key areas of scientific research including potential medical treatments, a controversial former government drugs adviser has warned.

In the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Professor David Nutt, of Imperial College London, said UN conventions on drugs act as some of the most scandalous examples of scientific censorship in modern times.

Along with another former government adviser, Leslie King, and Professor David Nichols, of the University of North Carolina, Prof Nutt argues that psychoactive drugs used in research should be exempted from severe restrictions.

Prof Nutt resigned as the chairman of the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in November 2009 over the decision to reclassify cannabis from a Class C to a Class B drug. The possession of cannabis, Ecstasy and psychedelics is regulated under national laws and international conventions dating back to the 1960s.

Prof Nutt said: “The decision to outlaw these drugs was based on their perceived dangers, but in many cases the harms have been overstated and are actually less than many legal drugs such as alcohol.”

More: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/drug-laws-hit-medical-research-040455765.html#NAVDFvc

‘Absurd’ drug laws ‘hinder research’ – Prof David Nutt – BBC

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“‘Absurd’ laws dealing with magic mushrooms, ecstasy and cannabis are hindering medical research, according to a former government drugs adviser.”
 
Magic mushrooms 
 
“Prof David Nutt says he has funding to research the use of the chemical psilocybin – found in fungi known as “magic mushrooms” to treat depression.But he says “insane” regulations mean he cannot get hold of the drug.”

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22042994