Cannabinoids and Terpenes tested for their effects on inflammation
This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory properties of some common cannabis-derived terpenes and the major cannabinoids on human blood cells. It was published in December 2022 in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.
The tests were performed in a lab (in vitro) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors. These immune system cell types are known to be important in inflammatory responses.
The study included these cannabinoids:
- CBDV - cannabidivarin
- CBD - cannabidiol
- CBN - cannabinol
- CBC - cannabichromene
- CBG - cannabigerol
- THC - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
and these terpenes:
- α-pinene
- trans-nerolidol
- D-limonene
- linalool
- phytol
The results showed that the cannabinoids worked much better than terpenes, and that THC showed the greatest immune modulating activity of all molecules tested. CBDV and CBG followed THC, while CBD ranked last in their experiments on cannabinoids.
Pinene showed the greatest activity among terpenes, with linalool second. Limonene showed no immunological activity.
cannabinoids showed the greatest immune modulating activity
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] possessed the greatest activity affecting 11 immune parameters followed by cannabidivarin [CBDV], cannabigerol [CBG], cannabichromene [CBC], cannabinol [CBN] and cannabidiol [CBD].
α-Pinene showed the greatest immune modulating activity from the selected group of terpenes, followed by linalool, phytol, trans-nerolidol.
Limonene had no effect on any of the parameters tested.
Overall, these studies suggest that selected cannabis-derived terpenes displayed minimal immunological activity, while cannabinoids exhibited a broader range of activity.
The full text article is here at MDPI.com.