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Keywords:Cannabis sativa cannabinoids cannabidiol CBD toxicology olive oil hemp extract CYP liver mutagenicity CW hemp Charlotte's Web, Inc. A B S T R A C TCannabinoids are extracted from Cannabis sativa L. and are used for a variety of medicinal purposes. Recently, there has been a focus on the cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) and its potential benefits. This study investigated the safety of a proprietary extract of C. sativa, consisting of 9% hemp extract (of which 6.27% is CBD) and 91% olive oil. The mutagenic potential of the hemp extract was evaluated with the AMES assay inclusive of a hepatic drug metabolizing mix (S9) rich in CYP enzymes. The test article did not elicit evidence of bacterial mutagenicity. GLP compliant 14-day and a 90-day toxicity study were conducted. Olive oil was used as a control. The 90-day study had a 28-day recovery period. Treatments for the 14-day non-recovery range-finding study were 0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg test article/kg body weight (bw)/day for 14 days. There was a non-statistically significant (p > 0.05) decrease in body weights for the male and female rats receiving the test article. Hypoactivity, hyperactivity, reduced food consumption and piloerection were observed in the rats receiving 4000 mg test article/kg bw. Histopathology showed an increase in the size of liver cells (hypertrophy) around the central vein (centrilobular) in Groups 3 (3/10) and 4 (5/10) that correlated with increased liver weights. In the 90-day study, 8 groups of rats were dosed with 0, 200, 400 and 800 mg test article/kg bw/day. Groups 5 to 8 had a 28-day recovery. There were no test article-linked changes in clinical observations, physical examinations, Functional Observation Battery, ophthalmology, Motor Activity Assessment, hematology, clinical chemistries and macropathology (all groups). With the exception of the liver and adrenal gland, no test article-linked pathology was observed. For all rats receiving the test article, histopathology showed hypertrophy of liver cells around the central vein. The increase of liver weight is most likely caused by hypertrophy due to up-regulation of the hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes. The hepatocellular hypertrophy was completely reversed in 28 days and was not considered to be an adverse effect. Vacuolization of the adrenal zona fasciculata was observed in the control and 800 mg test article/kg bw groups. The vacuolization of the zona fasciculata was of the same incidence and severity in treatment and control male rats and correlated with an increased in the weights of the adrenal glands. In addition, a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in adrenal-to-body weight ratios was observed for females receiving 800 mg test article/kg bw. This increase in adrenal-to-body weight ratio did not correlate with any of the pathology findings. The NOAEL for the test article is 800 mg/kg bw/day for female and 400 mg/kg bw/day for male Sprague Dawley rats.

VOHO Hemp Oil (Verdant Nature LLC (in collaboration with HempFusion)) is an extract of the aerial parts of hemp (Cannabis sativa L) manufactured using a supercritical CO2 extraction process. The results of four safety studies are reported here including a bacterial reverse mutation assay, an in vivo mammalian micronucleus study, a maximum tolerated dose study in rats and a 90-day repeat dose subchronic toxicity study in rats. VOHO Hemp oil can contain up to 30% phytocannabinoids and less than 0.2% is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). VOHO Hemp Oil was found to be non-mutagenic in the bacterial reverse mutation assay and was negative for inducing micronuclei in the rat bone marrow micronucleus assay. The maximum tolerated dose in male and female Wistar rats was 2250 mg/kg bw/day. A 90-day repeat dose study was conducted in male and female Wistar rats according to OECD Guideline 408 and included a 21-day recovery period. The doses used in the study were 0, 25, 90 and 324 mg/kg bw per day in the main study, and in the recovery phase a control and 324 mg/kg bw/day group were included. One mortality was reported during the study, a high dose female, and test substance-related adverse clinical signs were reported in the high dose group. Other test substance-related changes noted in the high dose group included changes in body weights, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) values, and in absolute and relative organ weights. Based on the results of the study, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for VOHO Hemp Oil was determined to be 90 mg/kg bw/day in both male and female Wistar rats.

Bioactive phytochemicals such as salidroside have been studied to understand the beneficial effects of Rhodiola rosea, an herbaceous plant used in traditional medicine to increase energy and treat a variety of health issues. However, Rhodiola plants are often slow-growing, and many are endangered in their native habitats. Thus, there is a need for safe, alternative supplies of key phytochemicals from Rhodiola. The salidroside subject of this safety study is a synthetic biology product from fermentation of a bioengineered E. coli that produces salidroside. Here, we present comprehensive test results that support the safety of salidroside manufactured via a patented sustainable bioengineering manufacturing process. In vitro bacterial reverse mutation assays with the bioengineered salidroside show no mutagenicity in any of the concentrations tested. In vivo toxicity studies in rats show no adverse effects from the salidroside product. Based on the results of these studies, we conclude that the bioengineered salidroside discussed here is not genotoxic and demonstrates a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) at least 2000 mg/kg bw/day in male and female Sprague–Dawley rats. This study supports that the salidroside compound produced using bioengineered E. coli is a viable alternative to salidroside produced from harvested Rhodiola plants for use as a dietary supplement, food ingredient, or potentially as a pharmaceutical product.

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