Characterization of the Biological Activity of the Ethanolic Extract from the Roots of Cannabis sativa L. Grown in Aeroponics

Abstract

Cannabis sativa var. Kompolti, a variety routinely used for food production purposes, is characterized by a low concentration of psychoactive molecules, although containing many other biologically attractive metabolites in all parts of the plant, including the roots. In the present work, we evaluate the specific biological activities of the roots’ extract from plants cultivated through aeroponics, an affordable and reliable method facilitating the isolation and processing of roots, with the advantage of being suitable for industrial scale-up. Furthermore, aeroponics results in an increased net accumulation of the most biologically attractive constituents (β-sitosterol, friedelin and epi-friedelanol) found in the roots. The ethanolic extract of the aeroponic roots of C. sativa (APEX) and its separate components are studied to evaluate their anti-inflammatory (modulation of the expression level of specific markers upon LPS stimulation in U937 cells, such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IkB-α, iNOS, IRAK-1 and miR-146a) and antioxidant (in either acellular or cellular settings) activities. The APEX anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities are also functionally benchmarked using the wound-healing assay. On the whole, the data obtained show that APEX and its main components showed significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which may render the exploitation of roots as a source of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents highly attractive, with the additional technical and economic advantages of aeroponics compared to soil cultivation.

Investigation on the gastrointestinal properties of ethanolic extract of Cannabis sativa through in vivo and in vitro approaches

“…The gastro properties of EFCS could be related to several compounds. Indeed, various secondary metabolites have been identified in the ethanolic fractions of C. sativa, the most relevant being the cannabinoids, flavonoids, phytosterols, and terpenes (31,40,41). Previous studies have shown that flavonoids contribute to gastrointestinal protection against ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori (42), and that cannabinoids protect the gastric mucosa against ethanol and stress-induced damage (43).…”

Optimizing extraction conditions and isolation of bound phenolic compounds from corn silk (Stigma maydis) and their antioxidant effects

“…It has been suggested that antioxidants, which neutralize harmful free radicals, may have curative effects on conditions such as cardiovascular disease (Zhou et al, 2021), inflammatory illness (Ferrini et al, 2022), cancer, and aging (Dhalaria et al, 2020). DPPH and reducing power were utilized to test the radical scavenging capability of antioxidant activities exhibited by the two compounds at the concentration of 100 µM illustrated in Figure 9 were similar to that of ascorbic acid/vitamin C (the standard drug).…”

Effect of carbon source and elicitors on biomass production and accumulation of friedelin and epifriedelanol in hairy roots of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

“…In recent years, there has been increasing interest in examining the pharmacological activities of C. sativa root extracts and their metabolites (Ferrini et al 2022),, including for possible anti-in ammatory, antiasthmatic, antinociceptive, antipyretic, anti-asthmatic, spasmolytic, and antioxidant properties (Ryz et Friedelin is considered a potential resource for dietary supplements (Gao et al 2022) and also displayed natural anti-insecticidal activity for agricultural pests (Baskar et al 2014). Chemical synthesis of these bioactive secondary metabolites is impractical (Guo et al 2020;2022).…”