Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis

Ifat Parveen; Nathan R Allen; Ruth E Wonfor; Ammar Al-Fadhli; Josephine E Forde-Thomas; Giles Joanna L; Robert T Walton; Michael Threadgill; Deborah M Nash

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007

Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis

Ifat Parveen, Nathan R Allen, Ruth E Wonfor, Ammar Al-Fadhli, Josephine E Forde-Thomas, Giles Joanna L, Robert T Walton, Michael Threadgill, Deborah M Nash

Department of Life Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Hemp products are currently enjoying much commercial interest as potential anti-inflammatory preparations. However, evidence for efficacy is lacking for some clinical conditions and for crude extracts and mixtures of cannabinoids. Uterine inflammation (endometritis) is a major cause of subfertility in livestock. The aim was to assess whether a commercially important crude hemp extract (extracted with supercritical CO ₂) and a commercial CBG:CBD (cannabigerol:cannabidiol) cannabinoid mixture have anti-inflammatory properties, using an ex vivo bovine tissue culture model of endometritis. LC-MS ² (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) analysis of the crude extract allowed identification of twelve cannabinoids (cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoic acid A (CBEA-A), cannabielsoic acid B (CBEA-B), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinoloic acid (CBNA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabicoumarononic acid (CBCONA), cannabicoumaronone (CBCON)) in the extract, along with isomers, an alkaloid and three polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fragmentation pathways, some including 6-π-electron pericyclic processes, are proposed. Tissue explants, from uteri from heifers at stage I or IV of the oestrous cycle, were treated with control, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), crude hemp extract, or with LPS + crude hemp extract for 24 h. The CBG:CBD mixture was assessed similarly. Inflammatory responses were measured as concentrations of PGF _2α, PGE ₂ and IL-6 in culture supernatants. Secretion of IL-6 from tissue explants was abrogated by the hemp extract (50 μg mL ^-1), compared to LPS alone, but it had no effect on secretion of PGF _2α. The CBG:CBD mixture had no effect on any of the markers. The crude hemp extract was not cytotoxic towards MDBK bovine kidney cells whereas the CBG:CBD mixture (50 μg mL ⁻¹) caused cell death. The hemp extract warrants further investigation for anti-inflammatory effects using a broader range of inflammatory markers, whereas the CBG:CBD mixture is not recommended for further study in the context of bovine endometritis.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	254-264
Number of pages	11
Journal	South African Journal of Botany
Volume	180
Early online date	15 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007
Publication status	Published - 31 May 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available upon request.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Helen C. Phillips and Dr Ana L. Winters for help with LC-MS and Dr Stephen M. Morris for help with the extractions (all Aberystwyth University). The project was fully funded through a SMARTExpertise award provided by the European Regional Development Fund via the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO).

Funding

Data will be made available upon request. We thank Dr Helen C. Phillips and Dr Ana L. Winters for help with LC-MS and Dr Stephen M. Morris for help with the extractions (all Aberystwyth University). The project was fully funded through a SMARTExpertise award provided by the European Regional Development Fund via the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO).

Funders	Funder number
European Regional Development Fund
Welsh European Funding Office

Keywords

Cannabis sativa
Fragmentation
Prostaglandin F
Supercritical CO extract
Tandem MS
Uterine inflammation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Plant Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Parveen, I., Allen, N. R., Wonfor, R. E., Al-Fadhli, A., Forde-Thomas, J. E., Joanna L, G., Walton, R. T., Threadgill, M., & Nash, D. M. (2025). Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis. South African Journal of Botany, 180, 254-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007

Parveen, I, Allen, NR, Wonfor, RE, Al-Fadhli, A, Forde-Thomas, JE, Joanna L, G, Walton, RT, Threadgill, M & Nash, DM 2025, 'Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis', South African Journal of Botany, vol. 180, pp. 254-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007

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title = "Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis",

abstract = "Hemp products are currently enjoying much commercial interest as potential anti-inflammatory preparations. However, evidence for efficacy is lacking for some clinical conditions and for crude extracts and mixtures of cannabinoids. Uterine inflammation (endometritis) is a major cause of subfertility in livestock. The aim was to assess whether a commercially important crude hemp extract (extracted with supercritical CO 2) and a commercial CBG:CBD (cannabigerol:cannabidiol) cannabinoid mixture have anti-inflammatory properties, using an ex vivo bovine tissue culture model of endometritis. LC-MS 2 (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) analysis of the crude extract allowed identification of twelve cannabinoids (cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoic acid A (CBEA-A), cannabielsoic acid B (CBEA-B), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinoloic acid (CBNA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabicoumarononic acid (CBCONA), cannabicoumaronone (CBCON)) in the extract, along with isomers, an alkaloid and three polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fragmentation pathways, some including 6-π-electron pericyclic processes, are proposed. Tissue explants, from uteri from heifers at stage I or IV of the oestrous cycle, were treated with control, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), crude hemp extract, or with LPS + crude hemp extract for 24 h. The CBG:CBD mixture was assessed similarly. Inflammatory responses were measured as concentrations of PGF 2α, PGE 2 and IL-6 in culture supernatants. Secretion of IL-6 from tissue explants was abrogated by the hemp extract (50 μg mL -1), compared to LPS alone, but it had no effect on secretion of PGF 2α. The CBG:CBD mixture had no effect on any of the markers. The crude hemp extract was not cytotoxic towards MDBK bovine kidney cells whereas the CBG:CBD mixture (50 μg mL −1) caused cell death. The hemp extract warrants further investigation for anti-inflammatory effects using a broader range of inflammatory markers, whereas the CBG:CBD mixture is not recommended for further study in the context of bovine endometritis.",

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AU - Parveen, Ifat

AU - Allen, Nathan R

AU - Wonfor, Ruth E

AU - Al-Fadhli, Ammar

AU - Forde-Thomas, Josephine E

AU - Joanna L, Giles

AU - Walton, Robert T

AU - Threadgill, Michael

AU - Nash, Deborah M

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N2 - Hemp products are currently enjoying much commercial interest as potential anti-inflammatory preparations. However, evidence for efficacy is lacking for some clinical conditions and for crude extracts and mixtures of cannabinoids. Uterine inflammation (endometritis) is a major cause of subfertility in livestock. The aim was to assess whether a commercially important crude hemp extract (extracted with supercritical CO 2) and a commercial CBG:CBD (cannabigerol:cannabidiol) cannabinoid mixture have anti-inflammatory properties, using an ex vivo bovine tissue culture model of endometritis. LC-MS 2 (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) analysis of the crude extract allowed identification of twelve cannabinoids (cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoic acid A (CBEA-A), cannabielsoic acid B (CBEA-B), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinoloic acid (CBNA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabicoumarononic acid (CBCONA), cannabicoumaronone (CBCON)) in the extract, along with isomers, an alkaloid and three polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fragmentation pathways, some including 6-π-electron pericyclic processes, are proposed. Tissue explants, from uteri from heifers at stage I or IV of the oestrous cycle, were treated with control, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), crude hemp extract, or with LPS + crude hemp extract for 24 h. The CBG:CBD mixture was assessed similarly. Inflammatory responses were measured as concentrations of PGF 2α, PGE 2 and IL-6 in culture supernatants. Secretion of IL-6 from tissue explants was abrogated by the hemp extract (50 μg mL -1), compared to LPS alone, but it had no effect on secretion of PGF 2α. The CBG:CBD mixture had no effect on any of the markers. The crude hemp extract was not cytotoxic towards MDBK bovine kidney cells whereas the CBG:CBD mixture (50 μg mL −1) caused cell death. The hemp extract warrants further investigation for anti-inflammatory effects using a broader range of inflammatory markers, whereas the CBG:CBD mixture is not recommended for further study in the context of bovine endometritis.

AB - Hemp products are currently enjoying much commercial interest as potential anti-inflammatory preparations. However, evidence for efficacy is lacking for some clinical conditions and for crude extracts and mixtures of cannabinoids. Uterine inflammation (endometritis) is a major cause of subfertility in livestock. The aim was to assess whether a commercially important crude hemp extract (extracted with supercritical CO 2) and a commercial CBG:CBD (cannabigerol:cannabidiol) cannabinoid mixture have anti-inflammatory properties, using an ex vivo bovine tissue culture model of endometritis. LC-MS 2 (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) analysis of the crude extract allowed identification of twelve cannabinoids (cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoic acid A (CBEA-A), cannabielsoic acid B (CBEA-B), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinoloic acid (CBNA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabicoumarononic acid (CBCONA), cannabicoumaronone (CBCON)) in the extract, along with isomers, an alkaloid and three polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fragmentation pathways, some including 6-π-electron pericyclic processes, are proposed. Tissue explants, from uteri from heifers at stage I or IV of the oestrous cycle, were treated with control, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), crude hemp extract, or with LPS + crude hemp extract for 24 h. The CBG:CBD mixture was assessed similarly. Inflammatory responses were measured as concentrations of PGF 2α, PGE 2 and IL-6 in culture supernatants. Secretion of IL-6 from tissue explants was abrogated by the hemp extract (50 μg mL -1), compared to LPS alone, but it had no effect on secretion of PGF 2α. The CBG:CBD mixture had no effect on any of the markers. The crude hemp extract was not cytotoxic towards MDBK bovine kidney cells whereas the CBG:CBD mixture (50 μg mL −1) caused cell death. The hemp extract warrants further investigation for anti-inflammatory effects using a broader range of inflammatory markers, whereas the CBG:CBD mixture is not recommended for further study in the context of bovine endometritis.

KW - Cannabis sativa

KW - Fragmentation

KW - Prostaglandin F

KW - Supercritical CO extract

KW - Tandem MS

KW - Uterine inflammation

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DO - 10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007

M3 - Article

SN - 1727-9321

VL - 180

SP - 254

EP - 264

JO - South African Journal of Botany

JF - South African Journal of Botany

ER -

Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this