South African plant may be the new medical marijuana | metropolises

In a plant used in religious rituals in South Africa, Israeli scientists discovered the existence of chemical compounds (cannabinoids) similar to those of cannabis, popularly known as marijuana. A study with the results of this research was published, at the beginning of the month, by the journal Nature Plants.

A relative of sunflowers, daisies and lettuce, Helichrysum umbraculigerum produces cannabigerol (CBG) and five other substances. The discovery, according to the scientists, reinforces the therapeutic potential of the plant.

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remedy in flowers

According to the researchers, however, there is a significant difference between Helichrysum umbraculigerum and cannabis. In the South African plant, chemical compounds are spread throughout the leaves, while those in cannabis are concentrated in the flowers.

The researchers from Weizmann Institute of Science, in Israel, analyzed the entire vegetable in the laboratory. The group discovered 40 chemical compounds of the type – cannabis concentrates 100.

Only six are identical to each other in the two species. This means that it is possible to find even more compounds to boost their therapeutic potential.

The researchers detected in Helichrysum umbraculigerum the absence of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most famous cannabinoids in cannabis.

However, Helichrysum umbraculigerum has high concentrations of CBG, a compound studied with promise in the treatment of various neurological disorders and against cancer.

Benefits

One of the advantages is that the studied plant does not cause any psychoactive effect. The study also points out that the new species can be even more profitable, if you think about large-scale production, since high levels of CBG, for example, would be more easily obtained.

“We have found an important new source of cannabinoids and have developed tools for their sustained production, which may help to explore their enormous therapeutic potential,” explained Shirley Berman, one of the study’s authors, in a statement.