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Effects of combined cannabidiol (CBD) and hops (Humulus lupulus) terpene extract treatment on RAW 264.7 macrophage viability and inflammatory markers.

Inga DammannClaudia KeilIris HardewigElżbieta SkrzydlewskaMichał BiernackiHajo Haase
Published in: Natural products and bioprospecting (2023)
This study investigates the potential of cannabidiol (CBD), one major cannabinoid of the plant Cannabis sativa, alone and in combination with a terpene-enriched extract from Humulus lupulus ("Hops 1"), on the LPS-response of RAW 264.7 macrophages as an established in vitro model of inflammation. With the present study, we could support earlier findings of the anti-inflammatory potential of CBD, which showed a dose-dependent [0-5 µM] reduction in nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) released by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, we observed an additive anti-inflammatory effect after combined CBD [5 µM] and hops extract [40 µg/mL] treatment. The combination of CBD and Hops 1 showed effects in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells superior to the single substance treatments and akin to the control hydrocortisone. Furthermore, cellular CBD uptake increased dose-dependently in the presence of terpenes from Hops 1 extract. The anti-inflammatory effect of CBD and its cellular uptake positively correlated with terpene concentration, as indicated by comparison with a hemp extract containing both CBD and terpenes. These findings may contribute to the postulations for the so-called "entourage effect" between cannabinoids and terpenes and support the potential of CBD combined with phytomolecules from a non-cannabinoid source, such as hops, for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Keyphrases
  • anti inflammatory
  • oxidative stress
  • nitric oxide
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • inflammatory response
  • cell proliferation
  • cell death
  • human health
  • signaling pathway
  • replacement therapy