Liverwort could prove to be more medically effective than cannabis, research suggests.
University of Bern October 24, 2018
Interesting new study about the plant Liverwort only found in Japan, Costa Rica and New Zealand shows promise as a more potent form of cannabis for the treatment of medical conditions. While the plant contains THC the active ingredient in cannabis that creates the “high” it has lower levels but more potency for reduction in pain and inflammatory responses.
Currently, the medicinal use of cannabinoids, extracted from cannabis, is a subject of debate around the world. In Switzerland, more and more people are advocating for increased research into cannabis. Today, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is used in the medical field to deal with certain types of pain, muscle cramps, dizziness and loss of appetite.
However, it is an illegal narcotic and, accordingly, can trigger side effects. THC in its pure form was first isolated from cannabis in 1964 by Raphael Mechoulam at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Until now, it was thought that cannabis was the only plant that produces THC. However, as early as 1994, Japanese phytochemist Yoshinori Asakawa had discovered a substance in the liverwort plant Radula perrottetii which was related to THC and had named this natural substance “perrottetinene.” In this natural product, the individual atoms are linked together in a manner similar to that of THC, however they differ in their three-dimensional structure and further exhibit an additional benzyl group.
Using animal models, they were able to demonstrate that perrottetinene reaches the brain very easily and that, once there, it specifically activates cannabinoid receptors. It even demonstrates a stronger anti-inflammatory effect in the brain than THC, something which makes perrottetinene particularly interesting when you consider its potential medical application “It’s astonishing that only two species of plants, separated by 300 million years of evolution, produce psychoactive cannabinoids,” says Gertsch. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
Perrottetinene is less psychoactive than THC
Low doses of THC have great therapeutic potential when it comes to treating various chronic illnesses. However, to date, THC is rarely used therapeutically. This is because, in higher doses, the substance has a strong psychoactive effect and is an illegal — and thus controlled — narcotic. Andrea Chicca, a member of scientific staff in Jürg Gertsch’s group, sees a potential for development in the therapeutic use of perrottetinene or similar substances: “This natural substance has a weaker psychoactive effect and, at the same time, is capable of inhibiting inflammatory processes in the brain.” In particular, in contrast to THC, perrottetinene inhibits the prostaglandins in the brain which are factors causing inflammation. In doing so, perrottetinene has an effect on cannabinoid receptors which is similar to that of the endocannabinoids produced by our own bodies. However, according to the researchers, more studies are necessary, for example in pre-clinical models of chronic and inflammatory pain.