First Advisor

Hyslop, Richard M.

Date Created

12-2018

Abstract

The plant Cannabis sativa contains a class of terpenophenols called cannabinoids which, in their active form, have been shown to have antiproliferative, anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects on several types of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cannabinoids have been shown to not exert this apoptotic activity in healthy cells and they do not elicit the usual side effects seen with conventional chemotherapies. However, naturally occurring prodrugs from Cannabis must first be converted into the active form to induce the apoptotic and other physiological activities. Although humans do not possess the enzyme(s) necessary for this conversion, several different microbial species have been shown to have enzymes capable of catalyzing reactions similar to that required for activation of the cannabinoid prodrug(s). This research focused on the isolation of the prodrug cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) from Cannabis and screening of various microbial cell lines capable of enzymatic conversion of CBDA to the active drug cannabidiol (CBD). This involved the development of a preparative HPLC method for isolation of CBDA and an analytical HPLC method for the monitoring of enzymatic prodrug conversion. Seven microbial species were screened for CBDA decarboxylation activity of the prodrug from Cannabis.

Extent

160 pages

Local Identifiers

MorganThesis2018.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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