Does Trema micranthum (L.) Blume Produce Cannabinoids?

Area of Science:

• Plant Chemistry
• Phytochemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Inconclusive scientific literature suggests Trema micranthum may produce phytocannabinoids.
• This plant is widely distributed in Brazil and proposed as a Cannabis sativa alternative.
• Clarifying T. micranthum's cannabinoid profile is crucial for scientific accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively investigate the presence of phytocannabinoids in Trema micranthum.
• To validate or refute claims of T. micranthum producing cannabinoids.
• To identify potential reasons for discrepancies in previous findings.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of two T. micranthum samples from Brazil.
• Utilized Fast Blue BB Salt (FBBBS) colorimetric assay for initial screening.
• Employed thin-layer chromatography (TLC), HPLC-DAD, and GC-MS for detailed analysis.

Main Results:

• Initial FBBBS tests without chloroform extraction yielded positive results for all plant parts.
• Subsequent analyses (FBBBS with chloroform, TLC, HPLC-DAD, GC-MS) did not corroborate cannabinoid presence.
• Positive FBBBS results are likely due to other phenolic compounds, such as vitexin-like compounds.

Conclusions:

• The study found no evidence of phytocannabinoids in the analyzed Trema micranthum samples.
• Initial positive screening results were likely false positives due to interfering phenolic compounds.
• Further research requires more selective methods to avoid erroneous claims about T. micranthum's cannabinoid production.