Phytochemical Analysis of the Methanolic Extract and Essential Oil from Leaves of Industrial Hemp <i>Futura 75</i> Cultivar: Isolation of a New Cannabinoid Derivative and Biological Profile Using Computational Approaches
Simona De Vita,
Claudia Finamore,
Maria Giovanna Chini,
Gabriella Saviano,
Vincenzo De Felice,
Simona De Marino,
Gianluigi Lauro,
Agostino Casapullo,
Francesca Fantasma,
Federico Trombetta,
Giuseppe Bifulco,
Maria Iorizzi
Affiliations
Simona De Vita
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Claudia Finamore
Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples, Via Domenico Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
Maria Giovanna Chini
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Isernia, Italy
Gabriella Saviano
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Isernia, Italy
Vincenzo De Felice
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Isernia, Italy
Simona De Marino
Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples, Via Domenico Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
Gianluigi Lauro
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Agostino Casapullo
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Francesca Fantasma
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Isernia, Italy
Cannabis sativa L. is a plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family, cultivated for its psychoactive cannabinoid (Δ9-THC) concentration or for its fiber and nutrient content in industrial use. Industrial hemp shows a low Δ9-THC level and is a valuable source of phytochemicals, mainly represented by cannabinoids, flavones, terpenes, and alkaloids, with health-promoting effects. In the present study, we investigated the phytochemical composition of leaves of the industrial hemp cultivar Futura 75, a monoecious cultivar commercially used for food preparations or cosmetic purposes. Leaves are generally discarded, and represent waste products. We analyzed the methanol extract of Futura 75 leaves by HPLC and NMR spectroscopy and the essential oil by GC-MS. In addition, in order to compare the chemical constituents, we prepared the water infusion. One new cannabinoid derivative (1) and seven known components, namely, cannabidiol (2), cannabidiolic acid (3), β-cannabispirol (4), β-cannabispirol (5), canniprene (6), cannabiripsol (7), and cannflavin B (8) were identified. The content of CBD was highest in all preparations. In addition, we present the outcomes of a computational study focused on elucidating the role of 2α-hydroxy-Δ3,7-cannabitriol (1), CBD (2), and CBDA (3) in inflammation and thrombogenesis.
