Researchers in the Netherlands have traced how the cannabis plant evolved the biology needed to develop THC, CBD and CBC, shedding new light on the origins of the plant’s best-known cannabinoids.
In a study published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, researchers from Wageningen University & Research worked backwards from modern cannabis genetics to understand how the plant evolved from producing a mix of cannabinoids to producing mostly one cannabinoid, such as THC or CBD.
The research highlighted that early cannabis plants relied on general purpose enzymes that could produce several cannabinoids at once from the same chemical starting point.
However, natural evolutionary changes led to the more specialised enzymes seen in modern plants.
Beyond explaining how cannabinoids evolved, the study also highlighted potential practical applications.
The recreated enzymes proved easier to produce in micro-organisms such as yeast than modern cannabis enzymes, a notable finding as interest grows in producing cannabinoids through fermentation rather than plant cultivation.
One engineered enzyme showed near-exclusive production of cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), the precursor to CBC, a lesser-known cannabinoid attracting increasing research attention but which occurs only in small amounts in most cannabis plants.
Lead researcher Robin van Velzen said that aspect of the study could prove useful.
“At present, there is no cannabis plant with a naturally high CBC content,” he said.
“Introducing this enzyme into a cannabis plant could therefore lead to innovative medicinal varieties.”