CB and other GPCR – TerpeneTargets

Valencene

Valencene is a natural product found in Xylopia sericea and Helichrysum odoratissimum, None of these plants listed by PubChem are very familiar to North Americans. Valencene is apparently found in valencia oranges. [1] María Eugenia Letelier and other scientists from the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago developed a protocol forContinue reading “Valencene”

Silexan

Silexan targets two types of voltage gated calcium channels that human and rodent studies have shown to decrease anxiety. Lyrica also targets these channels. This post attempts to explain a very technical study to well motivated lay readers.

p-cymene

p-Cymene is anti-bacterial. Is it also inhibit mammalian mitochondria? Yes, it uncouples respiration of isolated micochondria.

α-phellandrene

The featured study came out of Brazil. Many of the plant species the authors cited as being good sources of (32%) as well as limonene (28%) and carvone (28%). [2] Hydro are natives of Brazil Dill is also a good source of α-phellandrene (32%) as well as limonene (28%) and carvone (28%). [2] Hydro distillationContinue reading “α-phellandrene”

Nerol

This post explores the binding of nerol to the human olfactory receptor OR2w3 in airway smooth muscle and thyroid cancer cells.

Cedrene and cedrol

An olfactory receptor in fat cells? Olfactory Receptor Family 10 Subfamily J Member 5 (OR10J5) is a typically G protein coupled receptor that signals through Gas pathways. GeneCards.org has perhaps the best expression data for OR10J5, the human version of Mouse olfactory receptor 23 MOR23. Tissue expression in the feature image is Illumina mRNA sequencingContinue reading “Cedrene and cedrol”

Terpinene

This post examines some biological actions and possible targets of four of the major terpenes in tea tree oil.

CB1 and cholesterol

Can terpenes interact directly with CB1? Terpenes share some features with cholesterol, a modulator of CB1. This post examines the interaction of cholesterol with CB1.

The THC Tetrad

This post will bounce back and forth between a THC study with a CB1 knock out mouse [1] and a terpene study from Michael Streicher’s laboratory [2] The post will quickly examine some membrane biophysics studies that back up some of the perplexing terpene results and offer new clues of CB1 receptor dynamics.This post willContinue reading “The THC Tetrad”

Beta-caryophyllene

ß-caryophyllene introduction ß-caryophyllene is a terpene that makes up about 35% of Cannabis sativa L essential oils. This compound is also found in These authors reminded the readers that is found in black pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. ß-caryophyllene is a full agonist of CB2 ands binds to the THC site of CB2. The (E) enantomerContinue reading “Beta-caryophyllene”