Molecules 2014, 19, 17078-17106; doi:10.3390/molecules191117078 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Review Endocannabinoids, Related Compounds and Their Metabolic Routes Filomena Fezza 1,2,*, Monica Bari 1, Rita Florio 3, Emanuela Talamonti 4,5, Monica Feole 1,2 and Mauro Maccarrone 2,5,* 1 Department of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; E-Mails:
[email protected] (M.B.);
[email protected] (M.F.) 2 European Center for Brain Research/IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy 3 Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Foro Italico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy; E-Mail:
[email protected] 4 Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80078 Pozzuoli (NA), Italy; E-Mail:
[email protected] 5 Center of Integrated Research, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00135 Rome, Italy * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: E-Mails:
[email protected] (F.F.);
[email protected] (M.M.). External Editor: Derek J. McPhee Received: 1 August 2014; in revised form: 16 October 2014 / Accepted: 16 October 2014 / Published: 24 October 2014 Abstract: Endocannabinoids are lipid mediators able to bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors, the primary molecular targets responsible for the pharmacological effects of the Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. These bioactive lipids belong mainly to two classes of compounds: N-acylethanolamines and acylesters, being N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), respectively, their main representatives. During the last twenty years, an ever growing number of fatty acid derivatives (endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-like compounds) have been discovered and their activities biological is the subject of intense investigations.