Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is the acidic form of cannabigerol (CBG). It is a dihydroxybenzoic acid and

olivetolic acid Olivetolic acid is an organic compound that is an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of the cannabinoids in ''Cannabis sativa ''Cannabis sativa'' is an annual herbaceous flowering plant indigenous to Eastern Asia, but now of cosmopoli ...

in which the hydrogen at position 3 is substituted by a geranyl group. It is a biosynthetic precursor to

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC'' ...

, which is the principal psychoactive constituent of the '' Cannabis'' plant. It is also a diterpenoid, a polyketide, a member of resorcinols and a phytocannabinoid. It derives from an olivetolic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a cannabigerolate. In the ''Cannabis'' plant, olivetolic acid and geranyl diphosphate are synthesized into CBGA. CBGA is converted in the plant by CBCA synthase,

CBDA synthase Cannabidiolic acid synthase (, ''CBDA synthase'') is an enzyme with systematic name ''cannabigerolate:oxygen oxidoreductase (cyclizing, cannabidiolate-forming)''. It is an oxidoreductase found in ''Cannabis sativa'' that catalyses the formation ...

and

THCA synthase Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase (full name ''Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase'') is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of THCA from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). THCA is the direct precursor of tetrahydrocann ...

into CBCA,

CBDA Cannabidiolic acid synthase (, ''CBDA synthase'') is an enzyme with List of enzymes, systematic name ''cannabigerolate:oxygen oxidoreductase (cyclizing, cannabidiolate-forming)''. It is an oxidoreductase found in ''Cannabis sativa'' that cataly ...

and THCA respectively. Afterwards, THCA and CBDA can be

decarboxylated Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group and releases carbon dioxide (CO2). Usually, decarboxylation refers to a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain. The reverse process, which is t ...

into THC and CBD by drying and heating plant material. CBGA has emerging pharmacological properties; for example, it had anticonvulsant effects in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy.

Pharmacology

In an analysis by the University of Rhode Island on phytocannabinoids it was found that CBGA had the 2nd highest

3C-like protease The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) or main protease (Mpro), formally known as C30 endopeptidase or 3-chymotrypsin-like protease, is the main protease found in coronaviruses. It cleaves the coronavirus polyprotein at eleven conserved sites. It is a cy ...

inhibitor activity against COVID-19 out of all the phytocannabinoids tested within that study but not as high as the

antiviral drug Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do n ...

GC376 (72% CBGA vs 24% CBG vs 100% GC376).

Pharmacology

References

Further reading