NMR assignments of the major cannabinoids and cannabiflavonoids isolated from flowers of Cannabis sativa.

The complete 1H- and 13C-NMR assignments of the major Cannabis constituents, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, delta8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabidiolic acid, cannflavin A and cannflavin B have been determined on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra including 1H- and 13C-NMR, 1H-1H-COSY, HMQC and HMBC. The substitution of carboxylic acid on the cannabinoid nucleus (as in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and cannabidiolic acid) has a large effect on the chemical shift of H-1" of the C5 side chain and 2'-OH. It was also observed that carboxylic acid substitution reduces intermolecular hydrogen bonding resulting in a sharpening of the H-5' signal in cannabinolic acid in deuterated chloroform.

Cloning and over-expression of a cDNA encoding a polyketide synthase from Cannabis sativa.

A polyketide synthase has been suggested to play an important role in cannabinoid biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa L. This enzyme catalyzes the biosynthesis of olivetolic acid, one of the precursors for cannabinoid biosynthesis. Using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based on the DNA homology of chalcone synthase (EC 2.