The Hidden Power of Cannabis Sativa Leaf Extract: New Study Reveals Rare Healing Compounds

Most people toss cannabis leaves in the trash.

But a new study shows they might be throwing away something far more valuable than they realize.   However, we at Nini Knows Best have been incorporating Cannabis Sativa Leaf Extract in our products from the beginning.

Using cutting-edge chromatography and mass spectrometry, chemists at Stellenbosch University in South Africa discovered a rare group of compounds in cannabis leaves – flavoalkaloids. These are incredibly uncommon in nature and were never seen in cannabis before. Known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, flavoalkaloids have potential uses in medicine, including treating cancer and chronic inflammation.

The team analyzed three cultivated cannabis strains and identified 79 phenolic compounds in total. Twenty-five were previously unknown in cannabis. And 16 – the rare flavoalkaloids – showed up primarily in just one strain’s leaves.

What makes this discovery more surprising is where the compounds were found: not in the buds, but in the leaves – parts of the plant usually discarded after harvest.

Dr. Magriet Muller, lead author on the study, says the high-resolution techniques used allowed them to separate these rare compounds from the more abundant ones like flavonoids. The results stunned even veteran researchers.

Most cannabis research focuses on cannabinoids like THC and CBD. But this study shows the plant’s chemistry runs far deeper.

Read the study:  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000258.htm 
https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/phenolic-analysis-of-cannabis-reveals-rare-flavoalkaloids-in-leaves