Hemp Flavonoids About 20 different flavonoids h
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Posted On: 09/08/2019 10:06:30 AM
Hemp Flavonoids
About 20 different flavonoids have been found in cannabis plants*. The distinct smell, color, and taste of certain hemp strains? That’s the flavonoids working. The exact makeup of flavonoids is different from strain to strain, so all 20 flavonoids may or may not be present in every hemp product. The three most common are quercetin, apigenin, and cannflavin.
• Quercetin: Part of the flavonol class, quercetin is associated with antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer effects.
• Apigenin: A member of the flavone class with potential anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Cannflavin: Flavones, classified as cannflavins A, B, and C. Cannflavin A and cannflavin B are potential anti-inflammatories.
Hemp and Cannflavin
The cannflavins are worth a bit of special attention, given that they are only found in cannabis plants. They are prenylflavonoids, belonging to yet another sub-class of flavonoids.Cannflavins A and B were isolated in Cannabis sativaL. plants in the 1980s. Cannflavin C was isolated in 2008, so it hasn’t been researched as extensively yet.
One study found that cannflavins are potent anti-inflammatories, with activity thirty times greater than asprin. The study says “cannflavins A and B act to inhibit the in vivo production of two pro-inflammatory mediators, prostaglandin E2 and the leukotrienes.”
For those of us who aren’t up on our medical sciences, in vivo refers to effects that take place in a living organism. Leukotrienes are involved in the development of inflammatory diseases like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, and prostaglandin E2contributes to inflammatory pain. Cannflavins A and B are shown to help stop the production of these two compounds in the body.
While we often focus on studies related to CBD and other cannabinoids, cannflavin shows promise on its own, and provides more insight into why so many advocates recommend whole-plant, full-spectrum products. The potential anti-inflammatory effects of cannflavin is certainly not something you’d want to leave on the table.
Flavonoids and the Entourage Effect
Regular readers will be familiar with the "entourage effect." This is the common name given to the unique synergy between cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients in hemp products. As a quick refresher, all phytonutrients—even in trace amounts—contribute to the effectiveness of others.
As an example, CBD on its own has a relatively low effective dosage threshold. When administered in a full-spectrum format with the full range of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes, there was seemingly no dose level at which CBD’s effects plateaued .
Researchers suggest the differences in the presence of all phytonutrients—and not just cannabinoids— across hemp strains contribute to the reported varying effects of different products. Therefore, future research into the medicinal value of C. sativa plants can’t just focus on CBD to THC ratios. The entire picture must be considered, including terpenes and flavonoids.
Testing for Flavonoids in Hemp
Unfortunately, flavonoid testing is one area in which the hemp industry still needs to grow. Most commercial labs do not test for flavonoid content, only cannabinoids and sometimes terpenes. Public attention isn’t as focused on flavonoids, either. Terpene content is becoming the trendy thing to discuss, while another potentially beneficial compound class is forgotten. Focusing more on flavonoids will open up another avenue to understanding the hemp plant and to creating more effective products.
For instance, some flavonoids are understood to degrade or break down entirely under certain circumstances. Fruit and vegetable flavonoids are often found on the skin and outer layers. These flavonoids can be affected by storage conditions and preparation methods: onions stored at room temperature lose a third of their flavonoids in two weeks, and 80% of all flavonoids can be lost during the cooking process. As a rule of thumb, if the color fades during the cooking process, phytonutrients are being lost.
Which brings up a number of questions for hemp products. Will certain extraction methods degrade phytonutrients at a greater rate? Is there a way to preserve flavonoids in consumer products for a long period of time? Can farmers naturally create hemp strains that are more resilient to flavonoid loss?
We don’t have answers to these and many more questions, which is why it is so encouraging that more and more academic labs are focusing on researching the entire plant, and not just cannabinoids.
https://apotheca.org/6105-2/
About 20 different flavonoids have been found in cannabis plants*. The distinct smell, color, and taste of certain hemp strains? That’s the flavonoids working. The exact makeup of flavonoids is different from strain to strain, so all 20 flavonoids may or may not be present in every hemp product. The three most common are quercetin, apigenin, and cannflavin.
• Quercetin: Part of the flavonol class, quercetin is associated with antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer effects.
• Apigenin: A member of the flavone class with potential anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Cannflavin: Flavones, classified as cannflavins A, B, and C. Cannflavin A and cannflavin B are potential anti-inflammatories.
Hemp and Cannflavin
The cannflavins are worth a bit of special attention, given that they are only found in cannabis plants. They are prenylflavonoids, belonging to yet another sub-class of flavonoids.Cannflavins A and B were isolated in Cannabis sativaL. plants in the 1980s. Cannflavin C was isolated in 2008, so it hasn’t been researched as extensively yet.
One study found that cannflavins are potent anti-inflammatories, with activity thirty times greater than asprin. The study says “cannflavins A and B act to inhibit the in vivo production of two pro-inflammatory mediators, prostaglandin E2 and the leukotrienes.”
For those of us who aren’t up on our medical sciences, in vivo refers to effects that take place in a living organism. Leukotrienes are involved in the development of inflammatory diseases like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, and prostaglandin E2contributes to inflammatory pain. Cannflavins A and B are shown to help stop the production of these two compounds in the body.
While we often focus on studies related to CBD and other cannabinoids, cannflavin shows promise on its own, and provides more insight into why so many advocates recommend whole-plant, full-spectrum products. The potential anti-inflammatory effects of cannflavin is certainly not something you’d want to leave on the table.
Flavonoids and the Entourage Effect
Regular readers will be familiar with the "entourage effect." This is the common name given to the unique synergy between cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients in hemp products. As a quick refresher, all phytonutrients—even in trace amounts—contribute to the effectiveness of others.
As an example, CBD on its own has a relatively low effective dosage threshold. When administered in a full-spectrum format with the full range of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes, there was seemingly no dose level at which CBD’s effects plateaued .
Researchers suggest the differences in the presence of all phytonutrients—and not just cannabinoids— across hemp strains contribute to the reported varying effects of different products. Therefore, future research into the medicinal value of C. sativa plants can’t just focus on CBD to THC ratios. The entire picture must be considered, including terpenes and flavonoids.
Testing for Flavonoids in Hemp
Unfortunately, flavonoid testing is one area in which the hemp industry still needs to grow. Most commercial labs do not test for flavonoid content, only cannabinoids and sometimes terpenes. Public attention isn’t as focused on flavonoids, either. Terpene content is becoming the trendy thing to discuss, while another potentially beneficial compound class is forgotten. Focusing more on flavonoids will open up another avenue to understanding the hemp plant and to creating more effective products.
For instance, some flavonoids are understood to degrade or break down entirely under certain circumstances. Fruit and vegetable flavonoids are often found on the skin and outer layers. These flavonoids can be affected by storage conditions and preparation methods: onions stored at room temperature lose a third of their flavonoids in two weeks, and 80% of all flavonoids can be lost during the cooking process. As a rule of thumb, if the color fades during the cooking process, phytonutrients are being lost.
Which brings up a number of questions for hemp products. Will certain extraction methods degrade phytonutrients at a greater rate? Is there a way to preserve flavonoids in consumer products for a long period of time? Can farmers naturally create hemp strains that are more resilient to flavonoid loss?
We don’t have answers to these and many more questions, which is why it is so encouraging that more and more academic labs are focusing on researching the entire plant, and not just cannabinoids.
https://apotheca.org/6105-2/
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