Study: Cannabis Stem Extract Shows Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer Cells
- The study published in the South African Journal of Botany discovered that cannabis stem extract exhibits selective anticancer activity against human colorectal cancer cells.
- Researchers identified a rich composition of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the cannabis stem extract, with epicatechin being the most abundant at 1,994.4 mg/L.
- MTT assay results showed the extract was approximately 1.7 times more cytotoxic to colorectal cancer cells (IC50 of 48.96 µg/mL) compared to normal kidney cells (IC50 of 82.75 µg/mL), indicating therapeutic selectivity.
- Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities of epicatechin and resveratrol to human thymidylate synthase, suggesting the extract's potential as a source of novel cancer treatment agents.
A study published today in the South African Journal of Botany found that an extract made from cannabis stems showed selective anticancer activity against human colorectal cancer cells.
Researchers from Usak University, Artvin Çoruh University, Necmettin Erbakan University and the University of Sfax analyzed the phytochemical makeup and anticancer potential of cannabis stem extract, a part of the plant more often associated with industrial hemp fiber production than medical research.
The extract was found to contain a rich mix of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, led by pyrogallol, resveratrol, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin. Epicatechin was the most abundant flavonoid, measured at 1,994.4 mg/L.
To test its anticancer potential, researchers used the MTT assay on HT-29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cells. The extract produced an IC50 value of 48.96 µg/mL against the cancer cells, compared with 82.75 µg/mL against the kidney cells.
That means the extract was about 1.7 times more cytotoxic to the colorectal cancer cells than to the control cells, indicating a degree of therapeutic selectivity.
The study also used molecular docking to examine how key compounds in the extract might interact with human thymidylate synthase, an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis and a target in some cancer treatments. Epicatechin and resveratrol showed strong binding affinities of −8.0 kcal/mol and −7.5 kcal/mol, respectively, nearing the reference drug Tomudex, which measured −8.9 kcal/mol.
Researchers concluded by saying “These findings position C. sativa stem extract, particularly its epicatechin and resveratrol components, as a promising source of novel thymidylate synthase inhibitors.”