Lewis-Acid-Mediated Union of Epoxy-Carvone Diastereomers with Anisole Derivatives: Mechanistic Insight and Application to the Synthesis of Non-natural CBD Analogues

An overview on synthetic and biological activities of cannabidiol (CBD) and its derivatives

(-)-Cannabidiol is a class of non-psychoactive plant cannabinoids derived from cannabis plants. Currently, Epidiolex (Cannabidiol) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of two rare and severe forms of epilepsy related diseases, namely Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet (DS). In addition, Cannabidiol and its structural analogues have received increasing attention due to their potential therapeutic effects such as neuroprotection, anti-epilepsy, anti-inflammation, anti-anxiety, and anti-cancer. Based on literature review, no comprehensive reviews on the synthesis of Cannabidiol and its derivatives have been found in recent years. Therefore, this article summarizes the published synthesis methods of Cannabidiol and the synthesis routes of Cannabidiol derivatives, and introduces the biological activities of some Cannabidiol analogues that have been studied extensively and have significant activities.

Palladium-Catalyzed Direct γ-C(sp3)-H Arylation of β-Alkoxy Cyclohexenones: Reaction Scope and Mechanistic Insights

Direct γ-C(sp3)-arylation of unactivated electron-rich enones is a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report a mild Pd-catalyzed method for direct γ-C(sp3)-arylation of various unactivated β-alkoxy cyclohexenones. The method is not only...

Cannabidiol Discovery and Synthesis-a Target-Oriented Analysis in Drug Production Processes

The current state of evidence and recommendations for cannabidiol (CBD) and its health effects change the legal landscape and aim to destigmatize its phytotherapeutic research. Recently, some countries have included CBD as an antiepileptic product for compassionate use in children with refractory epilepsy. The growing demand for CBD has led to the need for high-purity cannabinoids on the emerging market. The discovery and development of approaches toward CBD synthesis have arisen from the successful extraction of Cannabis plants for cannabinoid fermentation in brewer's yeast. To understand different contributions to the design and enhancement of the synthesis of CBD and its key intermediates, a detailed analysis of the history behind cannabinoid compounds and their optimization is provided herein.

Using (+)-Carvone to access novel derivatives of (+)-ent-Cannabidiol: the first asymmetric syntheses of (+)-ent-CBDP and (+)-ent-CBDV

(-)-Cannabidiol [(-)-CBD] has recently gained prominence as a treatment for neuro-inflammation and other neurodegenerative disorders; interest is also developing in its synthetic enantiomer, (+)-CBD, which has a higher affinity to CB1 / CB2 receptors than the natural stereoisomer. We have developed an inexpensive, stereoselective route to access ent-CBD derivatives using (+)-carvone as a starting material. In addition to (+)-CBD, we report the first syntheses of (+)-cannabidivarin, (+)-cannabidiphorol as well as C-6 / C-8 homologues.

Synthetic and Natural Derivatives of Cannabidiol

The non-psychoactive component of Cannabis Sativa, cannabidiol (CBD), has centered the attention of a large body of research in the last years. Recent clinical trials have led to the FDA approval of CBD for the treatment of children with drug-resistant epilepsy. Even though it is not yet in clinical phases, its use in sleep-wake pathological alterations has been widely demonstrated.Despite the outstanding current knowledge on CBD therapeutic effects in numerous in vitro and in vivo disease models, diverse questions still arise from its molecular pharmacology. CBD has been shown to modulate a wide variety of targets including the cannabinoid receptors, orphan GPCRs such as GPR55 and GPR18, serotonin, adenosine, and opioid receptors as well as ligand-gated ion channels among others. Its pharmacology is rather puzzling and needs to be further explored in the disease context.Also, the metabolism and interactions of this phytocannabinoid with other commercialized drugs need to be further considered to elucidate its clinical potential for the treatment of specific pathologies.Besides CBD, natural and synthetic derivatives of this chemotype have also been reported exhibiting diverse functional profiles and providing a deeper understanding of the potential of this scaffold.In this chapter, we analyze the knowledge gained so far on CBD and its analogs specially focusing on its molecular targets and metabolic implications. Phytogenic and synthetic CBD derivatives may provide novel approaches to improve the therapeutic prospects offered by this promising chemotype.

A Revised Modular Approach to (-)-trans-Δ8-THC and Derivatives Through Late-Stage Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions

A revised modular approach to various synthetic (-)-trans-Δ8-THC derivatives through late-stage Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions is disclosed. Ten derivatives were synthesized allowing both sp2- and sp3-hybridized cross-coupling partners with minimal β-hydride elimination. Importantly, we demonstrate that a para-bromo-substituted THC scaffold for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions has been initially reported incorrectly in recent literature.