Don’t toss cannabis leaves: They may contain rare compounds with medical potential

Scientists studying the chemistry of Cannabis leaves have uncovered something that had never been documented in the plant before: evidence of a rare group of natural compounds known as flavoalkaloids.

Analytical chemists at Stellenbosch University (SU) made the discovery while examining the complex mixture of chemicals found in commercially grown Cannabis from South Africa. Their findings suggest that the leaves, which can be treated as low value plant material or waste, may contain a much richer collection of potentially useful compounds than previously recognized.

Flavoalkaloids belong to a broader family of plant chemicals known as phenolic compounds. Phenolics are produced naturally by plants and include substances involved in pigmentation, defense, and protection from environmental stress.

One major subgroup, flavonoids, is especially well known. These compounds have drawn considerable interest from pharmaceutical researchers because many are associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Flavoalkaloids, however, are much less common in nature.