Critical Review on the Chemical Aspects of Cannabidiol (CBD) and Harmonization of Computational Bioactivity Data

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid which represents one of the constituents of the "phytocomplex" of Cannabis sativa. This natural compound is attracting growing interest since when CBD-based remedies and commercial products were marketed. This review aims at exhaustively addressing the extractive and analytical approaches that have been developed for the isolation and quantification of CBD. Recent updates on cutting-edge technologies were critically examined in terms of yield, sensitivity, flexibility and performances in general, and are reviewed alongside original representative results. As an add-on to currently available contributions in the literature, the evolution of novel, efficient synthetic approaches for the preparation of CBD, a procedure which is appealing for the pharmaceutical industry, is also discussed. Moreover, given the increasing interest on the therapeutic potential of CBD and the limited understanding of the undergoing biochemical pathways, the reader will be updated about recent in silico studies on the molecular interactions of CBD towards several different targets attempting to fill this gap. Computational data retrieved from the literature have been integrated with novel in silico experiments, critically discussed to provide a comprehensive and updated overview on the undebatable potential of CBD and its therapeutic profile.