review · Plants
Cannabis sativa possesses a complex chemical profile containing more than 550 distinct metabolites, notably phytocannabinoids. Historically banned as a narcotic, the plant also has extensive traditional use in treating diverse ailments, including diabetes, digestive troubles, circulatory problems, nervous system disorders, and respiratory illnesses. Scientific evaluations have confirmed that Cannabis metabolites exhibit broad biological properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticoagulant, insecticidal, anticancer, neuroprotective, and dermocosmetic actions. In addition, molecular docking simulations reveal strong binding affinities between specific Cannabis compounds and enzymes associated with anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiepileptic, and anticancer pathways. Together, these documented chemical characteristics and biological actions substantiate the therapeutic potential of the plant, consolidating existing evidence while establishing directions for continued laboratory exploration across pharmacology and allied disciplines.
Cannabis sativa is shifting from being viewed strictly as a controlled substance to a valuable source of therapeutic agents. Mapping its vast library of natural compounds helps researchers understand traditional remedies and target specific biological pathways. This broad spectrum of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and protective properties provides an evidence base for addressing widespread health challenges, including diabetes, neurological conditions, and infectious diseases.
The identified biological properties suggest future applications in pharmaceuticals, dermocosmetics, and agricultural pest management. Developers targeting conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, or skin disorders could utilise these compound profiles for drug discovery and formulation design. However, because the evidence rests on an overview of chemical analyses, biological screenings, and computational molecular docking simulations, these prospects remain at an early-stage research level far from direct market implementation.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
For more than a century, Cannabis was considered a narcotic and has been banned by lawmakers all over the world. In recent years, interest in this plant has increased due to its therapeutic potential, in addition to a very interesting chemical composition, characterized by the presence of an atypical family of molecules known as phytocannabinoids. With this emerging interest, it is very important to take stock of what research has been conducted so far on the chemistry and biology of Cannabis sativa. The aim of this review is to describe the traditional uses, chemical composition and biological activities of different parts of this plant, as well as the molecular docking studies. Information was collected from electronic databases, namely SciFinder, ScienceDirect, PubMed and Web of Science. Cannabis is mainly popular for its recreational use, but it is also traditionally used as remedy for the treatment of several diseases, including diabetes, digestive, circulatory, genital, nervous, urinary, skin and respiratory diseases. These biological proprieties are mainly due to the presence of bioactive metabolites represented by more than 550 different molecules. Molecular docking simulations proved the presence of affinities between Cannabis compounds and several enzymes responsible for anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiepileptic and anticancer activities. Several biological activities have been evaluated on the metabolites of Cannabis sativa, and these works have shown the presence of antioxidant, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, anti-aflatoxigenic, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective and dermocosmetic activities. This paper presents the up-to-date reported investigations and opens many reflections and further research perspectives.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/plants12061245
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
