Pharmacokinetic evaluation of β-caryophyllene alcohol in rats and beagle dogs

Analgesic Potential of Terpenes Derived from Cannabis sativa

Pain prevalence among adults in the United States has increased 25% over the past two decades, resulting in high health-care costs and impacts to patient quality of life. In the last 30 years, our understanding of pain circuits and (intra)cellular mechanisms has grown exponentially, but this understanding has not yet resulted in improved therapies. Options for pain management are limited. Many analgesics have poor efficacy and are accompanied by severe side effects such as addiction, resulting in a devastating opioid abuse and overdose epidemic. These problems have encouraged scientists to identify novel molecular targets and develop alternative pain therapeutics. Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that cannabis has several beneficial pharmacological activities, including pain relief. Cannabis sativa contains more than 500 chemical compounds, with two principle phytocannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Beyond phytocannabinoids, more than 150 terpenes have been identified in different cannabis chemovars. Although the predominant cannabinoids, Δ9-THC and CBD, are thought to be the primary medicinal compounds, terpenes including the monoterpenes β-myrcene, α-pinene, limonene, and linalool, as well as the sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and α-humulene may contribute to many pharmacological properties of cannabis, including anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about terpene compounds in cannabis and to analyze the available scientific evidence for a role of cannabis-derived terpenes in modern pain management. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Decades of research have improved our knowledge of cannabis polypharmacy and contributing phytochemicals, including terpenes. Reform of the legal status for cannabis possession and increased availability (medicinal and recreational) have resulted in cannabis use to combat the increasing prevalence of pain and may help to address the opioid crisis. Better understanding of the pharmacological effects of cannabis and its active components, including terpenes, may assist in identifying new therapeutic approaches and optimizing the use of cannabis and/or terpenes as analgesic agents.

Antidepressant-like effect of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds in mice: Involvement of the monoaminergic system

Background and aim

Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg. (Myrtaceae) present several pharmacological actions, but there are no reports on its antidepressant-like potential. This study investigated the antidepressant-like effect and mechanism of action of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds extract obtained from supercritical CO₂ (40 °C, 250 bar).

Experimental procedure

Mice were orally treated with the extract 1 h before the TST. To investigate the involvement of the monoaminergic system in the antidepressant-like activity of the extract, pharmacological antagonists were administered prior to the acute oral administration of the extract (60 mg/kg). Also, the interaction of the extract with antidepressants was assessed in the tail suspension test (TST). The in vitro inhibitory potential of C. xanthocarpa seeds extract towards MAO A and MAO B enzymes was tested in vitro.

Results and conclusion

Animals treated with Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds extract showed a significant reduction in the immobility time in the TST. Mice pretreatment with SCH23390, sulpiride, prazosin, yohimbine, and p-chlorophenylalanine prevented the anti-immobility effect of the extract in the TST. The combined administration of sub-effective doses of the extract with imipramine, bupropion and fluoxetine significantly reduced mice immobility time in the TST. The extract showed MAO A inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 151.10 ± 5.75 μg/mL), which was greater than that toward MAO B (IC₅₀ > 400 μg/mL).

The extract of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds obtained by supercritical CO₂ shows antidepressant-like activity, which relies on the activation of the monoaminergic neurotransmission (serotoninergic, dopaminergic and noradrenergic), suggesting that this species might represent a resource for developing new antidepressants.

•

C. xanthocarpa show antidepressant-like effect in mice tail suspension test.

•

C. xanthocarpa potentiates the effect of antidepressants in tail suspension test.

•

C. xanthocarpa mode of action involves the monoaminergic system.

Pharmacokinetics of Anthraquinones from Medicinal Plants

Anthraquinones are bioactive natural products, some of which are active components in medicinal medicines, especially Chinese medicines. These compounds exert actions including purgation, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation, antihyperlipidemia, and anticancer effects. This study aimed to review the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of anthraquinones, which are importantly associated with their pharmacological and toxicological effects. Anthraquinones are absorbed mainly in intestines. The absorption rates of free anthraquinones are faster than those of their conjugated glycosides because of the higher liposolubility. A fluctuation in blood concentration and two absorption peaks of anthraquinones may result from the hepato-intestinal circulation, reabsorption, and transformation. Anthraquinones are widely distributed throughout the body, mainly in blood-flow rich organs and tissues, such as blood, intestines, stomach, liver, lung, kidney, and fat. The metabolic pathways of anthraquinones are hydrolysis, glycuronidation, sulfation, methylation/demethylation, hydroxylation/dehydroxylation, oxidation/reduction (hydrogenation), acetylation and esterification by intestinal flora and liver metabolic enzymes, among which hydrolysis, glycuronidation and sulfation are dominant. Of note, anthraquinones can be transformed into each other. The main excretion routes for anthraquinones are the kidney, recta, and gallbladder. Conclusion: Some anthraquinones and their glycosides, such as aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, rhein and sennosides, have attracted the most PK research interest due to their more biological activities and/or detectability. Anthraquinones are mainly absorbed in the intestines and are mostly distributed in blood flow-rich tissues and organs. Transformation into another anthraquinone may increase the blood concentration of the latter, leading to an increased pharmacological and/or toxicological effect. Drug-drug interactions influencing PK may provide insights into drug compatibility theory to enhance or reduce pharmacological/toxicological effects in Chinese medicine formulae and deserve deep investigation.

β-caryophyllene improves sexual performance via modulation of crucial enzymes relevant to erectile dysfunction in rats

This study sought to investigate the effect of β-caryophyllene (BCP) on sexual performance, crucial enzymes linked to erectile function as well as lipid peroxidation in the penile tissue of paroxetine (PD)-induced rats. Animals were randomly divided into ten groups of five animals each: normal control (NC), BCP (10 mg/kg), BCP (20 mg/kg), sildenafil citrate (SD) (20 mg/kg), BCP + SD (20 mg/kg), PD (20 mg/kg), PD + BCP (10 mg/kg), PD + BCP (20 mg/kg), PD + SD (20 mg/kg) and PD + BCP (20 mg/kg) + SD (20 mg/kg). Oral administration of 20 mg/kg body weight of PD for the first 7 days was done while treatment with BCP and SD were performed between 8 and 14 days prior to euthanasia. The sexual performance study revealed that PD caused erectile dysfuction. Elevated activities of phosphodiesterase-5' (PDE-5'), arginase, adenosine deaminase (ADA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) as well as lipid peroxidation level were observed in PD-induced rats when compared to the NC group. However, treatment with sildenafil and/ or β-Caryophyllene significantly reduced the activities of AChE, PDE-5', arginase, ADA, and ACE in penile tissues of PD-induced rats. In addition, co-administration of β-caryophyllene and sildenafil citrate showed better modulatory effects. Thus, β-caryophyllene could represent a potential nutraceutical in the management of erectile dysfunction.

Phytochemical drug candidates for the modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ in inflammatory bowel diseases

Plant-based compounds or phytochemicals such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins, resins, and polyphenols have been used extensively in traditional medicine for centuries and more recently in Western alternative medicine. Extensive evidence suggests that consumption of dietary polyphenolic compounds lowers the risk of inflammatory diseases. The anti-inflammatory properties of several phytochemicals are mediated through ligand-inducible peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), particularly the PPARγ transcription factor. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is represented by ulcerative colitis, which occurs in the mucosa of the colon and rectum, and Crohn's disease (CD) that can involve any segment of gastrointestinal tract. Because of the lack of cost-effective pharmaceutical treatment options, many IBD patients seek and use alternative and unconventional therapies to alleviate their symptoms. PPARγ plays a role in the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression and activation of anti-inflammatory immune cells. The phytochemicals reported here are ligands that activate PPARγ, which in turn modulates inflammatory responses. PPARγ is highly expressed in the gut making it a potential therapeutic target for IBDs. This review summarizes the effects of the currently published phytochemicals that modulate the PPARγ pathway and reduce or eliminate colonic inflammation.