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Review
. 2023 Mar 17;13(3):442.
doi: 10.3390/metabo13030442.

Biosynthesis of Phytocannabinoids and Structural Insights: A Review

Rasiravathanahalli Kaveriyappan Govindarajan  1 , Awdhesh Kumar Mishra  1 , Kiu-Hyung Cho  2 , Ki-Hyun Kim  2 , Kyoung Mi Yoon  2 , Kwang-Hyun Baek  1
Affiliations
Review

Biosynthesis of Phytocannabinoids and Structural Insights: A Review

Rasiravathanahalli Kaveriyappan Govindarajan et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

Cannabis belongs to the family Cannabaceae, and phytocannabinoids are produced by the Cannabis sativa L. plant. A long-standing debate regarding the plant is whether it contains one or more species. Phytocannabinoids are bioactive natural products found in flowers, seeds, and fruits. They can be beneficial for treating human diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, and pain), the cellular metabolic process, and regulating biological function systems. In addition, several phytocannabinoids are used in various therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications. This study provides an overview of the different sources of phytocannabinoids; further, the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds involving various pathways is elucidated. The structural classification of phytocannabinoids is based on their decorated resorcinol core and the bioactivities of naturally occurring cannabinoids. Furthermore, phytocannabinoids have been studied in terms of their role in animal models and antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi; further, they show potential for therapeutic applications and are used in treating various human diseases. Overall, this review can help deepen the current understanding of the role of biotechnological approaches and the importance of phytocannabinoids in different industrial applications.

Keywords: Cannabis sativa L.; biosynthesis pathways; industrial application; phytocannabinoids; structural activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of phytocannabinoids.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway, leading to the two major phytocannabinoids, THC and CBD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sequence alignment among tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) synthases using the Clustal Omega alignment server.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prediction of the 1D, 2D, and 3D structural profile of Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase. (a) Secondary structural elements, (b) Predicted 3D model, (c) Validated model, and (d) Predicted motif and domain regions.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Prediction of the 1D, 2D, and 3D structural profile of Cannabidiolic acid synthase. (a) Secondary structural elements, (b) Predicted 3D model, (c) Validated model, and (d) Predicted motif and domain regions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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