Cannabis sativa research trends, challenges, and new-age perspectives Tajammul Hussain, Ganga Jeena, Thanet Pitakbut, Nikolay Vasilev, and Oliver Kayser iScience, Cell Press, 2021,24, 103391, 1-13. Doi : 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103391 SUMMARY Cannabis sativa L. has been one of the oldest medicinal plants cultivated for 10,000 years for several agricultural and industrial applications. However, the plant became controversial owing to some psychoactive components that have adverse effects on human health. In this review, we analyzed the trends in cannabis research for the past two centuries. We discussed the historical transitions of cannabis from the category of herbal medicine to an illicit drug and back to a medicinal product post-legalization. [...]
Lire la suiteIn vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity of minor cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis sativa Ayat Zagzoog, Kawthar A. Mohamed, Hye Ji J. Kim, Eunhyun D. Kim, Connor S. Frank, Tallan Black, Pramodkumar D. Jadhav, Larry A. Holbrook & Robert B. Laprairie Scientific Reports, www.nature.com, 2020, 10, 20405, 1-13. Doi : 10.1038/s41598-020-77175-y The Cannabis sativa plant contains more than 120 cannabinoids. With the exceptions of Δ9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), comparatively little is known about the pharmacology of the less-abundant plant-derived (phyto) cannabinoids. The best-studied transducers of cannabinoid-dependent effects are type 1 and type 2 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R, CB2R). Partial agonism of CB1R by Δ9-THC is [...]
Lire la suiteChanges in inflammatory biomarkers are related to the antidepressant effects of Ayahuasca Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho, Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Isaac Campos Braga, Bruno Lobão Soares, João Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira, Daniel Perkins, Jerome Sarris and Draulio Barros de Araujo Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2020, 1-9. DOI : 10.1177/0269881120936486 Abstract Background : Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazon brew and its potential antidepressant properties have recently been explored in scientific settings. We conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of ayahuasca with treatment-resistant depression patients (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 45). Aims : We are evaluating the blood inflammatory biomarkers: C-reactive protein and [...]
Lire la suiteHow Cannabis-Based Therapeutics Could Help Fight COVID Inflammation Liz Scherer Medscape.com, November 03, 2020 Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center. Plagued by false starts, a few dashed hopes, but with perhaps a glimmer of light on the horizon, the race to find an effective treatment for COVID-19 continues. At last count, more than 300 treatments and 200 vaccines were in preclinical or clinical development (not to mention the numerous existing agents that are being evaluated for repurposing). There is also a renewed interest in cannabinoid therapeutics — in particular, the nonpsychoactive agent cannabidiol (CBD) and the prospect of [...]
Lire la suiteResearch Progress of the Antiviral Bioactivities of Natural Flavonoids Lin Wang · Junke Song · Ailin Liu · Bin Xiao · Sha Li · Zhang Wen · Yang Lu · Guanhua Du Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2020, 10, 271–283 doi : 10.1007/s13659-020-00257-x Abstract Flavonoids are now considered as an indispensable component in a variety of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. Most recent researches have focused on the health aspects of flavonoids for humans. Especially, different flavonoids have been investigated for their potential antiviral activities, and several natural flavonoids exhibited significant antiviral properties both in vitro and in vivo. This review provides a survey of the literature [...]
Lire la suiteFDA Approves Clinical Trials for Cannabinoid Drug Designed to Reduce COVID Lung Inflammation Ralph Ellis Medscape, August 21, 2020 The US Food and Drug Administration has approved phase one clinical trials for a synthetic cannabinoid drug designed to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a life-threatening lung condition which may occur in severe cases of the novel coronavirus, Forbes reported. ARDS can be triggered by over-creation of cytokines, proteins which tell the body to produce more inflammation, Forbes said. The drug going to clinical trials, ARDS-003, would “dampen the cytokine release" and prevent development of ARDS, Tetra Bio-Pharma company CEO and chief regulatory officer Guy Chamberland, MD, [...]
Lire la suitePotential combinations of endocannabinoid/endocannabinoid-like compounds and antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Mark Feldman, Reem Smoum, Raphael Mechoulam, Doron Steinberg PLoS One, April 15, 2020, 1-13. Doi : 10.1371/journal.pone.0231583 Abstract Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have reached epidemic proportions globally. Our previous study showed antimicrobial effects of anandamide (AEA) and arachidonoyl serine (AraS) against methicillin (MET)-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, proposing the therapeutic potential of these endocannabinoid/endocannabinoid-like (EC/EC-like) agents for the treatment of MRSA. Here, we investigated the potential synergism of combinations of AEA and AraS with different types of antibiotics against MRSA grown under planktonic growth or biofilm formation. The most effective [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol Reduces Brain Damage and Improves Functional Recovery After Acute Hypoxia-Ischemia in Newborn Pigs Hector LAFUENTE, Francisco J. ALVAREZ, M. Ruth PAZOS, Antonia ALVAREZ, M. Carmen REY-SANTANO, Victoria MIELGO, Xabier MURGIA-ESTEVE, Enrique HILARIO, and Jose MARTINEZ-ORGADO Pediatric Research, 2011, 70, 272–277. ABSTRACT : Newborn piglets exposed to acute hypoxia-ischemia (HI) received i.v. cannabidiol (HI CBD) or vehicle (HI VEH). In HI VEH, 72 h post-HI brain activity as assessed by amplitudeintegrated EEG (aEEG) had only recovered to 42 9% of baseline, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) parameters remained lower than normal, and neurobehavioral performance was abnormal (27.8 2.3 points, normal 36). [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids in Pain Management and Palliative Medicine An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Prospective Observational Studies Winfried Häuser, Mary-Ann Fitzcharles, Lukas Radbruch, Frank Petzke The Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 2017, 114, 627–634. Doi : 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0627 SUMMARY Background : There are conflicting interpretations of the evidence regarding the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of cannabinoids in pain management and palliative medicine. Methods : We conducted a systematic review (SR) of systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and prospective long-term observational studies of the use of cannabinoids in pain management and palliative medicine. Pertinent publications from January 2009 to January 2017 were retrieved by a selective search in the Cochrane [...]
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