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Fertilization Following Pollination Predominantly Decreases Phytocannabinoids Accumulation and Alters the Accumulation of Terpenoids in Cannabis Inflorescences
(Fertilization of Cannabis decreases phytocannabinoids accumulation and alters the accumulation of terpenoids from distinct families. )
fig 1
In the last decades, growing evidence showed the therapeutic capabilities of Cannabis plants. These capabilities were attributed to the specialized secondary metabolites stored in the glandular trichomes of female inflorescences, mainly phytocannabinoids and terpenoids. The accumulation of the metabolites in the flower is versatile and influenced by a largely unknown regulation system, attributed to genetic, developmental and environmental factors. As Cannabis is a dioecious plant, one main factor is fertilization after successful pollination. Fertilized flowers are considerably less potent, likely due to changes in the contents of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids; therefore, this study examined the effect of fertilization on metabolite composition by crossbreeding (-)-Δ9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- or cannabidiol (CBD)-rich female plants with different male plants: THC-rich, CBD-rich, or the original female plant induced to develop male pollen sacs. We used advanced analytical methods to assess the phytocannabinoids and terpenoids content, including a newly developed semi-quantitative analysis for terpenoids without analytical standards. We found that fertilization significantly decreased phytocannabinoids content. For terpenoids, the subgroup of monoterpenoids had similar trends to the phytocannabinoids, proposing both are commonly regulated in the plant. The sesquiterpenoids remained unchanged in the THC-rich female and had a trend of decrease in the CBD-rich female. Additionally, specific phytocannabinoids and terpenoids showed an uncommon increase in concentration followed by fertilization with particular male plants. Our results demonstrate that although the profile of phytocannabinoids and their relative ratios were kept, fertilization substantially decreased the concentration of nearly all phytocannabinoids in the plant regardless of the type of fertilizing male. Our findings may point to the functional roles of secondary metabolites in Cannabis.
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Conclusion
Here, we used highly advanced analytical methods to thoroughly assess the composition of 95 phytocannabinoids and 113 terpenoids in the inflorescences of female plants fertilized by different males, including the female plant itself induced to develop male pollen sacs. We found that fertilization significantly decreased phytocannabinoids content, while terpenoids were differentially affected. To further elucidate the effect of fertilization on the secondary metabolite accumulation, future studies that follow the gene expression of enzymes upstream to GPP after fertilization may allow exposing master regulators of the biochemical pathways. In addition, better characterization of the morphological changes following fertilization may shed light on how different trichome types are affected by fertilization. Finally, the variance in metabolites observed by fertilization with different male plants may suggest that the pollen itself or the developing embryo influence the female sporophyte.
Altogether, one must remember that these specialized secondary metabolites have an important role in planta, increasing the plant fitness to the environment (Huchelmann et al., 2017). The substantial decrease in phytocannabinoids and terpenoids after fertilization may point to their functional roles in the plant. The actual functions of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids in Cannabis were only sparsely studied, mainly suggesting roles in defense against biotic or abiotic factors (Potter, 2009), protection from UV radiation (Eichhorn Bilodeau et al., 2019), prevention of desiccation (Gülck and Møller, 2020), or induction of cell death in leaves (Morimoto et al., 2007). The observed dynamics of the accumulation of these metabolites during flower development and fertilization may point to their different roles along the plant’s life cycle.
(Fertilization of Cannabis decreases phytocannabinoids accumulation and alters the accumulation of terpenoids from distinct families. )
fig 1
In the last decades, growing evidence showed the therapeutic capabilities of Cannabis plants. These capabilities were attributed to the specialized secondary metabolites stored in the glandular trichomes of female inflorescences, mainly phytocannabinoids and terpenoids. The accumulation of the metabolites in the flower is versatile and influenced by a largely unknown regulation system, attributed to genetic, developmental and environmental factors. As Cannabis is a dioecious plant, one main factor is fertilization after successful pollination. Fertilized flowers are considerably less potent, likely due to changes in the contents of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids; therefore, this study examined the effect of fertilization on metabolite composition by crossbreeding (-)-Δ9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- or cannabidiol (CBD)-rich female plants with different male plants: THC-rich, CBD-rich, or the original female plant induced to develop male pollen sacs. We used advanced analytical methods to assess the phytocannabinoids and terpenoids content, including a newly developed semi-quantitative analysis for terpenoids without analytical standards. We found that fertilization significantly decreased phytocannabinoids content. For terpenoids, the subgroup of monoterpenoids had similar trends to the phytocannabinoids, proposing both are commonly regulated in the plant. The sesquiterpenoids remained unchanged in the THC-rich female and had a trend of decrease in the CBD-rich female. Additionally, specific phytocannabinoids and terpenoids showed an uncommon increase in concentration followed by fertilization with particular male plants. Our results demonstrate that although the profile of phytocannabinoids and their relative ratios were kept, fertilization substantially decreased the concentration of nearly all phytocannabinoids in the plant regardless of the type of fertilizing male. Our findings may point to the functional roles of secondary metabolites in Cannabis.
more HERE
Conclusion
Here, we used highly advanced analytical methods to thoroughly assess the composition of 95 phytocannabinoids and 113 terpenoids in the inflorescences of female plants fertilized by different males, including the female plant itself induced to develop male pollen sacs. We found that fertilization significantly decreased phytocannabinoids content, while terpenoids were differentially affected. To further elucidate the effect of fertilization on the secondary metabolite accumulation, future studies that follow the gene expression of enzymes upstream to GPP after fertilization may allow exposing master regulators of the biochemical pathways. In addition, better characterization of the morphological changes following fertilization may shed light on how different trichome types are affected by fertilization. Finally, the variance in metabolites observed by fertilization with different male plants may suggest that the pollen itself or the developing embryo influence the female sporophyte.
Altogether, one must remember that these specialized secondary metabolites have an important role in planta, increasing the plant fitness to the environment (Huchelmann et al., 2017). The substantial decrease in phytocannabinoids and terpenoids after fertilization may point to their functional roles in the plant. The actual functions of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids in Cannabis were only sparsely studied, mainly suggesting roles in defense against biotic or abiotic factors (Potter, 2009), protection from UV radiation (Eichhorn Bilodeau et al., 2019), prevention of desiccation (Gülck and Møller, 2020), or induction of cell death in leaves (Morimoto et al., 2007). The observed dynamics of the accumulation of these metabolites during flower development and fertilization may point to their different roles along the plant’s life cycle.
