ABSTRACT
Photooxygenation of Δ8 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA) and some derivatives (acetate, tosylate and methyl ether) yielded 24 oxygenated derivatives, 18 of which were new and 6 were previously reported, including allyl alcohols, ethers, quinones, hydroperoxides, and epoxides. Testing these compounds for their modulatory effect on cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 led to the identification of 7 and 21 as CB1 partial agonists with Ki values of 0.043 µM and 0.048 µM, respectively and 23 as a cannabinoid with high binding affinity for CB2 with Ki value of 0.0095 µM, but much less affinity towards CB1 (Ki 0.467 µM). The synthesized compounds showed cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines (SK-MEL, KB, BT-549, and SK-OV-3) with IC50 values ranging from 4.2 to 8.5 µg/mL. Several of those compounds showed antimicrobial, antimalarial and antileishmanial activities, with compound 14 being the most potent against various pathogens.
