The key difference between cannabidiol and phytocannabinoids is that cannabidiol is a type of phytocannabinoid that occurs in cannabis plants, whereas phytocannabinoid is a type of cannabinoid that can occur in either cannabis plants or some different plant species.
Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds that occur mainly in cannabis plants. Phytocannabinoids are a subcategory of cannabinoids, while cannabidiols are a subcategory of phytocannabinoids.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cannabidiol
3. What are Phytocannabinoids
4. Cannabidiol vs Phytocannabinoids in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Cannabidiol vs Phytocannabinoids
What is Cannabidiol?
Cannabidiol is a type of phytocannabinoid that occurs in cannabis plants. It was discovered in 1940. There are about 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants. The other major phytocannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol. According to some research studies, cannabidiol is associated with anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain. However, high-quality evidence regarding this matter is insufficient to come to a conclusion
The trade names of this compound as a drug are “Epidiolex” and “Epidyolex”. The routes of administration for cannabidiol drugs include inhalation, aerosol spray, or oral solutions. The drug class of this drug is Cannabinoid. When orally taken, the bioavailability of the drug is about 6%. When inhaled, the bioavailability comes to about 31%. Further, the elimination half-life of the drug ranges from 18 to 32 hours.
Figure 01: The Chemical Structure of Cannabidiol
There are many medical uses of cannabidiol, including its use in research purposes regarding neurological effects in humans, treating a few neurological disorders, treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, etc.
We can observe that this substance is a colorless crystalline solid at room temperature. It can undergo oxidation to form quinone when there is a strongly basic media, and there is enough air. However, it can cyclize to form tetrahydrocannabinol under acidic conditions.
When considering the biosynthesis of cannabidiol, the cannabis plant produces it through the same metabolic pathway as tetrahydrocannabinol, where the last step involves the catalysis of CBDA synthase instead of THCA synthase.
What is Phytocannabinoid?
Phytocannabinoid is a type of cannabinoid compound that exists in cannabis plants. These are the classical cannabinoids that are concentrated in a viscous resin that forms inside glandular trichomes of the plant.
The production of phytocannabinoids includes the biosynthesis pathway, where an enzyme causes geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid to combine with each other, forming CBGA. Thereafter, CBGA independently converts into CBG, THCA, CBD, or CBCA through 4 separate synthase enzymes.
Figure 02: Appearance of Cannabis Plant
Furthermore, phytocannabinoids can be present in several other plants other than cannabis plants. Examples include Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Acmelia oleracea, Radula marginate, etc. Most of these plant species contain cannabinoids that are not derived from the cannabis plant. Some examples for this type of compound include alkamides from Echinacea species.
What is the Difference Between Cannabidiol and Phytocannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds that occur mainly in cannabis plants. Phytocannainoids are a subcategory of cannabinoids, while cannabidiols are a subcategory of phytocannabinoids. The key difference between cannabidiol and phytocannabinoids is that cannabidiol is a type of phytocannabinoid that occurs in cannabis plants, whereas phytocannabinoids are a type of cannabinoids that can occur in either cannabis plants or some different plant species.
The following table summarizes the difference between cannabidiol and phytocannabinoids.
Summary – Cannabidiol vs Phytocannabinoids
Cannabidiols and phytocannabinoids are closely related compounds with a very slight difference between them. The key difference between cannabidiol and phytocannabinoids is that cannabidiol is a type of phytocannabinoid that occurs in cannabis plants, whereas phytocannabinoids are a type of cannabinoid that can occur in either cannabis plants or some different plant species.
Reference:
1. “The Phytocannabinoids Guide.” Healthy Hemp Oil, 25 Nov. 2019.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Cannabidiol” By Harbin – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Cannabis plant growing in a Himachal house, Giri camp, Himachal Pradesh, India” By Subhashish Panigrahi – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia