lkdj2003
21-08-08, 09:35 PM
In mature cannabis plants, the onset of senescence occurs before the plant is harvested. When the plant is harvested, individual cells do not die immediately. Cellular metabolism continues for some time; starches and sugars are broken down to CO2, water, and energy. Most of the weight reduction in drying bud is far and away due to water loss from the vasculature and cytosol, but some loss also occurs from breakdown of sugars and subsequent gassing off of water vapor and CO2. Cell death eventually occurs, either as a result of apoptosis, or when respiration can no longer proceed because of lack of one (or more) of the inputs (sugar, water, O2). Supplying exogenous sugar (and water) post-harvest may allow cells to live longer than they would ordinarily, but I'd want to see some controlled tests before committing to that idea.
Even after cell death, biochemical reactions still continue well into the curing process, but reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes grind to a halt as enzymes break down and are not repaired or replaced. Synthesis of cannabinoids is one of the processes that stops after cell death. Synthesis of terpenoids is one of the processes that continues well into curing. Breakdown of THC to CBN is another process that does not require enzymes and continues indefinitely.
One of the processes that occurs in plants from the onset of senescence is that chlorophyll gets broken down. Chloroform is not part of that pathway (see attached diagram). In a nutshell, chlorophyll gets enzymatically broken down to primary fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (pFCCs), which in turn get non-enzymatically broken down to colourless non-fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (NCCs), which get stored in cell vacuoles, and may eventually be oxidized. Because the first phase of this process requires enzymes, it is one of the processes that stops after cell death occurs. A slow drying process keeps cells alive longer and allows more chlorophyll to be broken down, which is why slow-dried cannabis tastes better than quick-dried cannabis, and rehydrating bud that was dried too quickly does nothing to improve the flavour.
https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/522/medium/chlorophyll_breakdown.gif
Even after cell death, biochemical reactions still continue well into the curing process, but reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes grind to a halt as enzymes break down and are not repaired or replaced. Synthesis of cannabinoids is one of the processes that stops after cell death. Synthesis of terpenoids is one of the processes that continues well into curing. Breakdown of THC to CBN is another process that does not require enzymes and continues indefinitely.
One of the processes that occurs in plants from the onset of senescence is that chlorophyll gets broken down. Chloroform is not part of that pathway (see attached diagram). In a nutshell, chlorophyll gets enzymatically broken down to primary fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (pFCCs), which in turn get non-enzymatically broken down to colourless non-fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (NCCs), which get stored in cell vacuoles, and may eventually be oxidized. Because the first phase of this process requires enzymes, it is one of the processes that stops after cell death occurs. A slow drying process keeps cells alive longer and allows more chlorophyll to be broken down, which is why slow-dried cannabis tastes better than quick-dried cannabis, and rehydrating bud that was dried too quickly does nothing to improve the flavour.
https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/522/medium/chlorophyll_breakdown.gif