THC and CBD Fingerprinting of an Elite Cannabis Collection from Iran: Quantifying Diversity to Underpin Future Cannabis Breeding.

Afshin Peirovi,Ali Ebadi,Gail Taylor,Seyed Alireza Salami,Mahboubeh Mostafaei Dehnavi

doi:10.3390/plants11010129

Afshin Peirovi, Ali Ebadi + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010129

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Abstract

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has a rich history of human use, and the therapeutic importance of compounds produced by this species is recognized by the medical community. The active constituents of cannabis, collectively called cannabinoids, encompass hundreds of distinct molecules, the most well-characterized of which are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. As a first step to establish a cannabis breeding program, we initiated this study to describe the HPLC-measured quantity of THC and CBD biochemistry profiles of 161 feral pistillate cannabis plants from 20 geographical regions of Iran. Our data showed that Iran can be considered a new region of high potential for distribution of cannabis landraces with diverse THC and CBD content, predominantly falling into three groups, as Type I = THC-predominant, Type II = approximately equal proportions of THC and CBD (both CBD and THC in a ratio close to the unity), and Type III = CBD-predominant. Correlation analysis among two target cannabinoids and environmental and geographical variables indicated that both THC and CBD contents were strongly influenced by several environmental–geographical factors, such that THC and CBD contents were positively correlated with mean, min and max annual temperature and negatively correlated with latitude, elevation, and humidity. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between THC and CBD concentrations, suggesting that further studies to unravel these genotype × environment interactions (G × E interactions) are warranted. The results of this study provide important pre-breeding information on a collection of cannabis that will underpin future breeding programs.

Highlights

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabinaceae) is an annual herbaceous multi-purpose plant with a long history of human selective breeding [1,2,3,4,5].The genus Cannabis contains different types of chemicals with a diverse phytocannabinoid profile and range of effects [1]
Precursor synthesis of cannabinoids occurs from two distinct biosynthesis pathways: the polyketide and the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways, which produce olivetolic acid (OLA) and geranyl diphosphate (GPP), respectively [5]
Variation of THC and CBD composition of cannabis plants derived from 20 locations indicate that this collection is diverse in THC and CBD both within and between populations, and that phenotypes characterized by THC/CBD values could be classified into three classes: Type I (THC-predominant), Type II, and Type III (CBD-predominant)

Summary

Introduction

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabinaceae) is an annual herbaceous multi-purpose plant with a long history of human selective breeding [1,2,3,4,5].The genus Cannabis contains different types of chemicals with a diverse phytocannabinoid profile and range of effects [1]. Geranylpyrophosphate:olivetolate geranyltransferase catalyse the alkylation of OLA with GPP, leading to formation of CBGA (cannabigerolic acid), the main precursor of various cannabinoids, responsible for producing acidic precursors of THC (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid; THCA) and CBD (cannabidiolic acid; CBDA). These phytocannabinoids exist as both monocarboxylic acids (e.g., THCA, CBDA) and as decarboxylated forms (e.g., THC, CBD); heating (at temperatures above 120 ◦C) promotes decarboxylation [9,10,11,12,13,14]

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