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Terpenes vs. flavonoids in cannabis: What’s the difference?

alternate photos of cannabis, nose then eyes

Article written by

April AcernoContent Writer

Content reviewed by

Dipak HemrajMedical Cannabis Researcher

Table of contents

  1. What are flavonoids?
  2. Major flavonoids in cannabis
  3. What are terpenes?
  4. Major terpenes in cannabis
  5. Terpenes vs. flavonoids: Does one have more therapeutic value than the other?
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. Resources

Along with cannabinoids, the terpenes and flavonoids in the cannabis plant are compounds that enhance the plant’s therapeutic value. While they may not directly interact with your body’s cannabinoid receptors like cannabinoids do, they have properties that are known to be beneficial.

The main difference between cannabis terpenes and flavonoids is what they bring to the plant’s physical properties. Terpenes are responsible for the smell and flavor of cannabis, while flavonoids contribute to not only the smell and flavor, but also the unique color of each strain (aka cultivar).

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What are flavonoids?

Flavonoids are found in thousands of species of plants. They’re essential for various plant functions, including reproduction and ultraviolet (UV) filtration. They also act as chemical messengers that regulate a plant’s health. In short, flavonoids are essential for the plant’s survival and reproduction.

Beyond their role in a plant’s life cycle, flavonoids offer wide-ranging health benefits. We regularly consume dietary flavonoids in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Generally, high flavonoid intake is good for our health.

Cannabis flavonoids also contribute to the effects of different cannabis strains. However, we still have much to learn about flavonoids — they are one of the most understudied components of the cannabis plant.

The Cannabis sativa plant contains 20 known flavonoids, although there could be others not discovered yet. While cannflavins A, B, and C are unique to cannabis, others, like quercetin, are found in many fruits and vegetables.

Like with cannabis terpenes, cannabis flavonoids are found in the female marijuana plant’s buds.

Benefits and uses

Flavonoids are generally known to be:

  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant (protect against cell damage)
  • Antiviral or antibacterial
  • Beneficial for heart health
  • Neuroprotective (protect nerve cells from injury or degeneration)
  • Preventive against diabetes, cancer, and other diseases

Each flavonoid in cannabis is also thought to offer unique health benefits.

Major flavonoids in cannabis

A number of cannabis flavonoids have been studied for how they can benefit us.

Cannflavins A, B and C

Cannflavins can only be found in cannabis, and belong to the flavone class of flavonoids. Flavones have been shown to be:

  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant
  • Neuroprotective

Cannflavin A is the most studied of the cannflavins. Studies suggest that cannflavin A interacts with CBD and THC to increase their potency. It also has potential anticancer properties, while Cannflavins A and B show anti-inflammatory activity 30 times greater than that of aspirin.

Apigenin

Apigenin provides muscle-relaxing, sedative, and anti-anxiety effects. Apigenin can also lower blood pressure and is found in chamomile tea, which may be why chamomile is frequently used as a sleep aid.

This bitter-tasting flavonoid is found in wheat sprouts, onions, oranges, and parsley. Apigenin has antioxidant and anticancer properties and may help regulate blood sugar levels.

Aromadendrene

Aromadendrene is a minty, woodsy-tasting compound found in safflower, sweet marjoram, sweet bay, eucalyptus, spearmint, and many strains of cannabis plants. When aromadendrene and the terpene cineole interact, they can produce an antibacterial effect.

When taken with THC, aromadendrene may help open your airways so you can take in more oxygen.

Βeta-sitosterol

Beta-sitosterol is a white, waxy flavonoid with a chemical structure similar to cholesterol, although it may actually lower cholesterol levels. It’s an antioxidant and could be used with the cannabinoid THCV to manage obesity and coronary heart disease.

Beta-sitosterol is also found in avocados and nuts, and some claim it has a yogurt-like smell and taste.

Catechin

Catechin is found in peaches, green tea, vinegar, and barley grain. This cannabis flavonoid could be helpful in treating diseases such as arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, infections, and neurological diseases.

Galangin

Galangin is found in the root spice galangal, which is related to ginger and turmeric. Unlike ginger, galangal tastes like citrus and pine and is common in Indian and Thai cuisine.

Galangin has been shown to have antitumor, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, plus antioxidant activity.

Hesperetin

Hesperetin is a citrus-flavored flavonoid that’s pleasantly sweet. It’s found in oranges and lemons.

Hesperetin has antioxidant properties and may be useful in treating lethal cardiac arrhythmias.

Kaempferol

Kaempferol, which has a yellow hue, can be found in kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli. This flavonoid has a bitter flavor and could be helpful in the treatment of cancer. Kaempferol may also prevent cancerous tumors from metastasizing (spreading) throughout the body.

Kaempferol helps the body produce new blood cells, and it’s useful as an antioxidant.

Luteolin

Luteolin is found in celery, thyme, green peppers, and chamomile tea. It may have powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer effects.

Naringin

Naringin exists in citrus fruits, particularly grapefruit, contributing to its bitter flavor. Naringin has lots of beneficial properties, including:

  • Anticancer
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant
  • Bone-regenerating properties (useful for arthritis and osteoporosis)

It might also helps treat conditions that affect the central nervous system like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, motor neurone disease, neurofibromatosis, and Parkinson’s disease, as well as metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure).

Orientin

Orientin has powerful antioxidant effects and may have antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. It’s common in cannabis and some tea plants, like rooibos. Orientin is said to have a sharp or bitter taste.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a bitter-tasting flavonoid found in almost all vascular plants, particularly capers, kale, apples, and red onions. It’s also in red wine.

It provides anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic (can prevent changes in DNA sequences), antiviral, antifungal, and antioxidant effects. It may also improve mental and physical performance.

Vitexin and isovitexin

Vitexin is found in passionflower, chaste berry, hawthorn, and pearl millet. It can reduce pain and protect brain cells. Vitexin may also play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

Isovitexin, another cannabis flavonoid, has a similar chemical structure to vitexin, and could offer the same benefits.

Rutin

Rutin is one of the more bitter-tasting cannabis compounds, and it’s found in citrus fruits, apples, and grains like buckwheat. Rutin may prevent blood clots.

Taxifolin

Taxifolin is associated with foods like vinegar, tea, wine, cocoa, and milk thistle seeds. It could help manage inflammation, tumors, microbial infections, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular and liver disorders.

A close-up of a cannabis bud's trichomes

What are terpenes?

Terpenes are organic, aromatic compounds that contribute to cannabis’s unique flavor and smell. Terpenes exist in all plants and have their own potential health benefits.

Scientists have identified at least 100 different terpenes in cannabis. Some may enhance cannabinoids’ potency through synergy (the interaction between different compounds that enhances the effects of one another).

Like flavonoids, most terpenes don’t attach to the body’s cannabinoid receptors. However, some terpenes, like beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene, are also considered cannabinoids, as they influence cannabinoid receptors.

Benefits and uses

There have been many studies on the benefits of terpenes in addressing various health conditions. While each of these properties requires more research, some benefits may include:

  • Antioxidant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antiviral or antibacterial
  • Mood-boosting
  • Neuroprotective

Certain terpenes may also reduce anxiety. For example, inhaling lavender oil, which is high in the terpene linalool, may produce calming effects.

Many products we use every day contain terpenes, such as:

  • Flavoring agents found in candies and other foods
  • Mosquito repellents and insecticides
  • Shampoos, lotions, and other skin care products

Major terpenes in cannabis

Many cannabis terpenes have been studied for their benefits.

Alpha and beta pinene

Pinene is abundant in pine trees and gives some cannabis strains a pine-like flavor and aroma. It may improve alertness, memory retention, and mood. Thanks to its bronchodilator effects, pinene may also be useful to people with asthma.

Beta-caryophyllene and humulene

Beta-caryophyllene is responsible for the taste and smell of black pepper in many cannabis strains.

It may produce mood-balancing effects while acting as a powerful anti-inflammatory and potential anticancer agent. Beta-caryophyllene is also considered a natural analgesic (pain killer).

Beta-caryophyllene is also considered a cannabinoid, as it interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the body.

Humulene, which is a terpene related to beta-caryophyllene, also has anti-inflammatory effects. Humulene is often found in hops, which is related to Cannabis sativa.

Limonene

Limonene brings notes of citrus to the cannabis plant. Prominent in many sativa-dominant strains, limonene is known for its mood-lifting effects and may improve alertness, focus, and memory retention.

Linalool

Linalool is one of the most popular cannabis compounds, but it’s also prominent in lavender, which is why many strains have a lavender-like scent.

It’s widely used for its calming effects, aiding sleep and anxiety relief. It may also have anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure effects.

Myrcene

Myrcene acts as a sedative, and it’s prominent in many indica-dominant strains of cannabis. Also found in lemongrass, basil, and hops, myrcene may promote the anti-inflammatory effects of certain cannabinoids by working on the same receptors targeted by ibuprofen.

Terpineol

Terpineol is one of the cannabis compounds with the most complex flavor and aroma profiles. It has anti-inflammatory effects and shows promise as a gastroprotective (protects the stomach lining).

When combined with CBD, terpineol may have anticonvulsant effects.

Free Cannabinoid and Terpene Guide

Terpenes vs. flavonoids: Does one have more therapeutic value than the other?

Both the flavonoids and terpenes in cannabis have many therapeutic uses. However, research into both compounds is still early, and there’s still much to learn about their benefits and how they can be best used to optimize health.

One thing that we do know is that terpenes and flavonoids provide the most value through the entourage effect, which is the combined effect of all of the compounds in cannabis, which is greater than the effects of a compound by itself.

This is why cannabis flower and full-spectrum cannabis products are ideal for those seeking to maximize their benefits.

If you want to experience the full potential of the terpenes and flavonoids in cannabis, speak to one of the telehealth providers at Leafwell, who can guide you toward the best strains and products for your health-related needs.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the terpenes and flavonoids in cannabis.

Do terpenes get you higher?

Terpenes aren’t intoxicating, but they can boost the potency of THC through the entourage effect. At the same time, some terpenes have mood effects, including limonene, which can increase serotonin levels, or myrcene, which can be mildly sedating.

Are there flavonoids and terpenes in hemp?

Flavonoids and terpenes are found in almost all plants, including hemp, which is a variety of Cannabis sativa. Each strain of hemp and other cannabis plants has a specific terpene and flavonoid profile.

Do flavonoids and terpenes pose any risks?

When taken as directed, flavonoids and terpenes do not pose any known risks. However, consuming certain terpenes or flavonoids on their own, in concentrated forms or excess, can be harmful.

Resources

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