MOLECULE

Cannflavin A

Cannflavin A belongs to the class of organic compounds known as 6-prenylated flavones. These are flavones that features 2 units of C5-isoprenoid substituent at the 6-position. There are three known cannflavins including Cannflavin A, B and C. Cannflavins are unique to Cannabis sativa (PMID: 3754224). Cannflavin A was first identified as a cannabis constituent in 1980s (PMID: 18774146). Chemically, cannflavins are prenylflavonoids and are unrelated to THC and other cannabinoids. Cannflavin A is biosynthesized via the prenylation of chrysoeriol (PMID: 31151063). Specifically, an aromatic prenyltransferase (CsPT3) catalyzes the regiospecific addition of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to the methylated flavone, chrysoeriol to produce Cannflavin A. Chrysoeriol is produced through the conversion of luteolin via the O-methyltransferase (CsOMT21) (PMID: 31151063). Cannflavin A is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water, and relatively neutral. Cannflavins exhibit anti-inflammatory activity that is thirty times that of aspirin (PMID: 31151063). It has been found that cannflavin A is an inhibitor of prostaglandin E2 production which appears to help explain its strong anti-inflammatory properties (PMID: 3859295; PMID: 3754224). Cannflavins were the first flavonoids identified to have direct inhibitory activity of two important pro-inflammatory mediators: arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES-1).