title: Analysis of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid substance, and of other natural N-acylethanolamines.
abstract: Recent reports have suggested that N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) acts as an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors in mammalian brain. Here we describe methods for the extraction, purification and analysis of anandamide and related N-fatty acyl-ethanolamines (NAEs). Liquid-phase extraction, silica gel G column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were employed for sample fractionation. Three analytical high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for purification of NAEs were developed. Finally, analyses of NAEs by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) are described. The applications of these analytical methods to the identification of anandamide and related NAEs in cell cultures as well as of artifacts in biosynthetic studies are described.
authors.affiliation: Istituto per la Chimica di Molecole di Interesse Biologico, C. N. R., Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marzo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cadas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piomelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016477:Artifacts; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D051381:Rats; D058428:Silica Gel; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004983:Ethanolamines; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D058428:Silica Gel; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C078814:anandamide