Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main active component in cannabis that is responsible for its psychoactive effects. As mentioned in this article, it is also known to have anti-inflammatory effects as well which some argue is safe and effective for pain, naseua and other sicknesses. However, a researcher Jürg Gertsch of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology has conducted research on beta-caryophyllene, or (E)-BCP. Gertsch states that (E)-BCP also has many of the anti-inflammatory properties but without the effecting the brain. This component is claimed to be in black pepper, oregano, basil, lime, cinnamon, carrots, and celery (I did not find information to verify).
Two of the main receptors acted upon by the active components of cannabis are CB1 (part of the CNS and responsible for the drugs psychoactive effects on the brain) and CB2 which is found in tissues throughout the body which induce the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis and its (E)-BCP. Gertsch study involved CB2 knockout mice vs. a control group and fed high levels of (E)-BCP and concluded it this component does act on the CB2 receptors to cause an anti-inflammatory effect as compared to the knockout mice. Gertsch thus suggest that this component of Cannabis may show promising effects for people suffering from diseases such as Crohns, liver cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, and atherosclerosis without the psychoactive effects of THC.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080624-marijuana_2.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2449371/
If you would like more information about cannabis and its effects on inflammation/other diseases we’ve discussed in class, this article discusses several:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20191092
Matt, I just looked up agent orange and I can't believe some of the effects this has had not only on veterans but people living in Vietnam! The effects are horrid and perhaps some treatment of this nature would be very beneficial and maybe more widely accepted as it does not act on the brain!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned you found it interesting that after so many years of using marijuana as a medication that they hadn't found out about this component and its mechanism. The reason Gertsch gives for this is because he claims that for many years researchers focused on classic cannabinoids (I assume THC) and did not delve into other components like (E)-BCP.
Many health magazines and articles (such as the one attached below) have mentioned the beneficial effects of cinnamon and basil. It would be interesting to see a clinical study done to substantiate the claims that (E)-BCP actually does exist in lime, black pepper, cinnamon, basil, oregano, carrots and celery. Additionally it would be nice to know how concentrated the (E)-BCP is in each item, thus giving the reader a better understanding of how much they should be consuming in order to actually see an effect.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/health-benefits-of-spices-herbs/
Very interesting! I think it is very important to test these drugs especially when they can without the psychoactive affects. It is amazing how much the mind controls the body. When one can control these effects and look solely at the processes of the drug the results can become much more valid and strong.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be great if it could be proven that (E)-BCP is actually present in lime, black pepper, cinamon, basil, oregano, carrots and celery and then conduct clinical trials from there to discover the anti-inflammatory effects of the ingredient. It would be interesting if perhaps this ingredient could be isolated and used as therapy without having any detrimental effects on the patient.
ReplyDeleteAs we have discussed in class, even though the active ingredient can be found in our foods; it's how much that needs to be consumed to have these anti-inflammatory benefits. It would have to be clinically defined the amount needed to be efficacious in an anti-inflammatory response.
ReplyDeleteKnowing the receptors at which this drug acts upon is a great start to possibly produce synthetic compounds to mimic the effect at the CB-2 while eliminating the interactions at CB-1. Is there enough variation between the receptors to produce a compound that has affinity for the CB-2 receptor and not the other as observed with (E)-BCP.
Thanks for bringing this up because I had read before about marijuana having an anti-inflammatory effect. I actually wanted to put it out there in one of our discussions since one of the lay articles promoting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle said "stop smoking marijuana". I would have like to see collectively what the class and Dr. Cohen thought about it. Just another point for medical marijuana- in my opinion of course.
Great article Jason! I agree with Matt that the discovery and research on CB2 will aid in the treatment of many of the diseases. I am sure that if they can somehow take the psychoactive effects of the drug away from it, it will be used in the future more openly. Is there any chance that maybe the THC that aids to some extent on the anti-inflammatory effects?
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