Scientists Develop New Class Of CBD Using A Common Kitchen Spice—Not Cannabis

Researchers have developed a new class of CBD-like compounds that they say
are even more effective at treating epilepsy and also promote brain cell
development. But rather than extracting them from the cannabis plant, the
scientists conducting the federally funded study used a common household
kitchen spice: caraway seeds.

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) psychology students and faculty took
the non-cannabis spice—which is commonly incorporated into breads, stews,
cheeses and more–and genetically manipulated it to create compounds that
closely resemble the molecular structure of non-intoxicating CBD.

While a scientific feat on its own, the researchers are especially enthused
about the results of pre-clinical trials using the caraway CBD that appear
to show those compounds pack a “greater punch in stopping seizures” than
natural cannabidiol found in the cannabis plant itself, with similarly low
risk of adverse health events.

“These fully synthetic compounds, made from a safe plant extract and free
of THC, not only prevented seizures and reduced seizure-related deaths but
also promoted healthier brain cell development—without the sedative side
effects of current treatments,” Dustin Hines, study co-author and professor
of neuroscience at UNLV, said in a press release.

“Childhood seizure disorders are often resistant to available drugs, and
both the seizures and the current frontline therapies can severely affect
brain development, cognition, and quality of life, making the discovery
especially promising,” he said.

The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology late last
month, found the synthesized CBD from the seeds of caraway, which is also
known as meridian fennel, “significantly reduces seizure-related mortality
in both C57Bl6 adults and a developmental epilepsy mouse model, supporting
its potential for further preclinical and clinical development.”

The research was supported with National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants,
through the NIH component agencies the National Institute of General
Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke.

The authors stressed that this is just the beginning of their research into
the medical potential of these novel compounds, which they hope will lead
to the development of new therapeutics for epilepsy. Currently, there’s one
Food and Drug Administration- (FDA) approved CBD prescription drug,
Epidiolex, that’s derived from cannabis.

“Advancing this new class of therapeutics holds significant promise for
patients who have exhausted existing treatment options, whether due to
debilitating side effects or a lack of response to currently available
therapies,” Adriana Carrillo, a UNLV student who participated in the study,
said.

“It is encouraging to help build the foundation for future treatment
options that could one day offer families safer and more effective
choices,” she said.

She also offered a word of advice for the curious: Caraway seeds on their
own do not contain CBD, so don’t expect to derive the benefits simply by
loading up on the spice, because the seeds “just contain the scaffold to
create it.”

The post Scientists Develop New Class Of CBD Using A Common Kitchen
Spice—Not Cannabis appeared first on Marijuana Moment.