Analysis of the Antitumor Activity of Bioactive Compounds of Cannabis Flowers Extracted by Green Solvents

Daniel R. Grijó, Danielle L. Bidoia, Celso V. Nakamura

Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Maringá; Department of Health Basic Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá (UEM), PR, Brazil.; Department of Health Basic Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá (UEM), PR, Brazil.; UdelaR

Specific substances of the genus Cannabis, called cannabinoids, have aroused great interest from the international community due to their pharmacological and medicinal potential, such as significant antitumor activities. Cannabinoids are found at high concentrations in the flowers of non-pollinated female plants. The most studied bioactive substances are cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC).
The inhibitory effects of Cannabis flower extracts, obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) with and without modifier, on various human tumour cells and non-tumour cells were evaluated. Different techniques were used to optimize the polarity interaction between solute and solvent before extraction. An increase in the cannabinoid content of interest (CBD/THC) was evaluated by decarboxylation of the flowers at 110 and 140 °C. Extractions with pure scCO2 were conducted in a single step at temperatures of 50 and 70 °C and pressures of 22 and 40 MPa, varying the time of prior decarboxylation by 0.5 or 2.0 hours. Sequential extractions were conducted in a first step at 35 °C and 10 MPa and then in a second step at 70 °C and 40 MPa, with and without modifier. Contents of the cannabinoids were evaluated using HPLC. Antitumor activity of the extracts was evaluated using the MTT assay. The highest yields and highest cannabinoid contents in the extracts were obtained with high solvent density values. Extracts with high concentrations of neutral cannabinoids showed high antitumor activity for cervical cancer cell lines.