REVIEW : Cannabidiol – Recent Advances
Raphael Mechoulam, Maximilian Petersa, Eric Murillo-Rodriguez and Lumïr O. Hanus
Chemistry and Biodiversity, 2007, 4, 1678-1692.
The aim of this review is to present some of the recent publications on cannabidiol (CBD; 2), a major
non-psychoactive constituent of Cannabis, and to give a general overview. Special emphasis is laid on
biochemical and pharmacological advances, and on novel mechanisms recently put forward, to shed light
on some of the pharmacological effects that can possibly be rationalized through these mechanisms. The
plethora of positive pharmacological effects observed with CBD make this compound a highly attractive
therapeutic entity.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Mechanisms of Cannabidiol Action
2.1. Cannabidiol: an Antagonist of CB1- and CB2-Receptor Agonists
2.2. Cannabidiol: Enhancer of Adenosine Signaling
2.3. Cannabidiol: Action on the 5-HT1a Receptor
2.4. Cannabidiol: a Potent Anti-Oxidant
3. Synthetic Approaches to Cannabidiol and Cannabidiol-Like Molecules
4. Cannabidiol: Selected Biological Effects
4.1. Cannabidiol: an Allosteric Modulator of Opioid Receptors
4.2. Cannabidiol, Cytokines, and Related Endogenous Constituents
4.3. Cannabidiol and Sleep
4.4. Cannabidiol and C-Fos
5. Cannabidiol: Selected Therapeutic Aspects
5.1. Neuroprotection
5.2. Cerebral Ischemia
5.3. Type-1 Diabetes
5.4. Anti-Emetic and Antinausea Effects
5.5. Anxiety
5.6. Rheumatoid Arthritis
5.7. Cancer