Cristina Lujan Ramirez

Reliable measurement of phytocannabinoids in complex semisolid formulations is essential for topical product development. We formulated a sodium carboxymethylcellulose/propylene glycol hydrophilic gel containing approximately 2% (w/w) full-spectrum Cannabis sativa resin, with a CBGA-enriched variant, and examined its analytical characteristics and preclinical wound-repair profile. Cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) were quantified by HPLC-UV following extraction from the gel. Calibration curves were linear (R² > 0.999), and apparent measured-to-expected contents across two independently prepared resin-gel batches were 91–99%. Thermogravimetric profiles were broadly similar for the resin-containing and vehicle formulations. In a full-thickness excisional wound model in male and female Wistar rats (n = 5 per sex per group), topical gel treatment accelerated macroscopic closure relative to untreated controls. Quantitative day-12 histomorphometry distinguished the formulations: the resin gel had greater fibroblast and microvascular densities than the vehicle, accompanied by increased inflammatory infiltration and reduced collagen area. The CBGA-enriched gel showed the highest microvascular density and significantly less inflammatory infiltration than the non-enriched resin gel. Together, these results support extraction-assisted cannabinoid quantification in a hydrophilic semisolid dosage form and demonstrate distinct tissue-remodelling profiles associated with cannabinoid-containing formulations.

Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American Foulbrood (AFB), a devastating disease that affects honey bee larvae. Plant-based antimicrobials that do not harm bees or hive products represent a natural alternative, particularly for diseases related to food provisioning, such as AFB. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of Humulus lupulus extracts against Paenibacillus larvae and assessed their toxicity on honey bee larvae and adults. Additionally, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, and volatile organic compound profiles were analyzed across 24 samples obtained by Soxhlet extraction. The extracts obtained using dichloromethane as a solvent exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity and showed no toxicity to adult bees or A. mellifera larvae. In these extracts, we identified a diverse array of volatile compounds with antibacterial properties, whose synergistic effects likely contributed to the enhanced antimicrobial efficacy observed.

Cystic echinococcosis is a global parasitic zoonosis caused by infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Cystic echinococcosis affects more than 1 million people worldwide, causing important economic costs in terms of management and livestock associated losses. Albendazole is the main drug used in treating human cystic echinococcosis. In spite of this, its low aqueous solubility, poor absorption, and consequently erratic bioavailability are the cause of its chemotherapeutic failures. Based on the described problem, new treatment alternatives urgently need to be developed. The aim of the present research was to study the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD), the second most abundant component of the Cannabis sativa plant, was demonstrated against E. granulosus sensu stricto. CBD (50 µg/mL) caused a decrease in protoscoleces viability of 80 % after 24 h of treatment which was consistent with the observed tegumental alterations. Detachment of the germinal layer was observed in 50 ± 10% of cysts treated with 50 µg/mL of CBD during 24 h. In the clinical efficacy study, all treatments reduced the weight of cysts recovered from mice compared with the control group. However, this reduction was only significant with ABZ suspension and the CBD + ABZ combination. As we could observe by the SEM study, the co-administration of CBD with ABZ suspension caused greater ultrastructural alteration of the germinal layer in comparison with that provoked with the monotherapy. Further in vivo research will be conducted by changing the dose and frequency of CBD and CBD + ABZ treatments and new available CBD delivery systems will also be assayed to improve bioavailability in vivo.

The enzymatic reduction of carbon dioxide presents limited applicability due to denaturation and the impossibility of biocatalyst recovery; disadvantages that can be minimized by its immobilization. Here, a recyclable bio‐composed system was constructed by in‐situ encapsulation under mild conditions using formate dehydrogenase in a ZIF‐8 metalorganic framework (MOF) in the presence of magnetite. The partial dissolution of ZIF‐8 in the enzyme's operation medium can be relatively inhibited if the concentration of magnetic support used exceeds 10 mg mL⁻¹. The bio‐friendly environment for immobilization does not harm the integrity of the biocatalyst, and the production of formic acid is improved 3.4‐fold compared to the free enzyme because the MOFs act as concentrators of the enzymatic cofactor. Furthermore, the bio‐composed system retains 86 % of its activity after a long time of five cycles, thus indicating an excellent magnetic recovery and a good reusability.

The growing use of Cannabis sativa as a complementary therapy to allopathic medicine has brought about the modification of laws for its use worldwide. This entails the need to harmonize the methods of galenic preparations in pharmacies and cannabis-specialized non-governmental organizations as well as for self-provision as contemplated in some current legislation, such as that of Argentina. Thus, this work aimed to study simple and efficient methods to produce medicinal cannabis oils that require low-cost equipment and few handling steps. The final formulas allowed the obtaining of preparations of known concentrations of neutral cannabinoids, total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity. These methods allow for the selection of convenient vehicles and access to safe medicinal products of standardized quality. Our results show that cannabis extraction can be efficiently performed by directly using long-chain lipidic vehicles as extractants, resulting in a formulation with maximized oxidizing capacity and potentially extending its durability. Graphical Abstract

Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite, which is considered a severe pest for honey bees causing serious losses to beekeeping. Residual hydrolats from steam extraction of hop essential oils, generally considered as a waste product, were tested for their potential use as acaricides on V. destructor. Four hop varieties, namely Cascade, Spalt, Victoria, and Mapuche, showed an interesting performance as feasible products to be used in the beekeeping industry. Some volatile oxidized terpenoids were found in the hydrolats, mainly β-caryophyllene oxide, β-linalool, and isogeraniol. These compounds, together with the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, and saponins, were probably responsible for the promissory LC₅₀ values obtained for mites after hydrolat exposition. Victoria hydrolat was the most toxic for mites (LC₅₀: 16.1 µL/mL), followed by Mapuche (LC₅₀ value equal to 30.1 µL/mL), Spalt (LC₅₀ value equal to 114.3 µL/mL), and finally Cascade (LC₅₀: 117.9 µL/mL). Likewise, Spalt had the highest larval survival, followed by Victoria and Mapuche. Cascade was the variety with the highest larval mortality. In addition, none of the extracts showed mortality higher than 20% in adult bees. The Victoria hydrolat presented the best results, which makes it a good compound with the prospect of an acaricide treatment against V. destructor.