Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic syndrome, which often includes obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Several studies in mice and humans have implicated the involvement of the gut microbiome in NAFLD. While cannabis and its phytocannabinoids may potentially be beneficial for treating metabolic disorders such as NAFLD, their effects on liver diseases and gut microbiota profile have yet to be addressed. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of the two major cannabinoids, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), on NAFLD progression. Methods: NAFLD was induced by feeding mice a high fat-cholesterol diet (HFCD) for 6 weeks. During this period, the individual cannabinoids, THC or CBD, were added to the experimental diets at a concentration of 2.5 or 2.39 mg/kg. Profile of lipids, liver enzymes, glucose tolerance, and gene expression related to carbohydrate lipids metabolism and liver inflammation was analyzed. The effect of THC or CBD on microbiota composition in the gut was evaluated. Results: While not alleviating hepatic steatosis, THC or CBD treatment influenced a number of parameters in the HFCD mouse model. CBD increased food intake, improved glucose tolerance, reduced some of the inflammatory response including TNFa and iNOS, and partially mitigated the microbiome dysbiosis observed in the HFCD fed mice. THC produced a much weaker response, only slightly reducing inflammatory-related gene expression and microbiome dysbiosis. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate the potential therapeutic effects of individual phytocannabinoids are different from the effects of the cannabis plant possessing a mixture of compounds. While CBD may help ameliorate symptoms of NAFLD, THC alone may not be as effective. This disparity can putatively be explained based on changes in the gut microbiota.

Lilium candidum L., known as Madonna, meadow, or white lily, is a bulbous plant from the Liliaceae family, originating in the Middle East. L. candidum has been abundantly used in folk medicine since ancient times to relieve a variety of ailments, including age-related diseases, burns, ulcers, and coughs. The aim of this article is to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities of L. candidum extracts and its active phytochemicals. Some active volatile phytochemicals were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Significant (p < 0.001) anti-diabetic properties of the extracts kaempferol, linalool, citronellal, and humulene were demonstrated by an elevation in glucose uptake by adipocytes. The significant (p < 0.01) effect of the plant extracts kaempferol, citronellal, and humulene on the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) was demonstrated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Altogether, L. candidum and its rich collection of phytochemicals hold promising medicinal potential, and further investigations of its therapeutic prospects are encouraged.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a widespread chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. Microglia play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MS via the release of cytokines and reactive oxygen species, e.g., nitric oxide. Research involving the role of phytocannabinoids in neuroinflammation is currently receiving much attention. Cannabigerol is a main phytocannabinoid, which has attracted significant pharmacological interest due to its non-psychotropic nature. In this research, we studied the effects of cannabigerol on microglial inflammation in vitro, followed by an in vivo study. Cannabigerol attenuated the microglial production of nitric oxide in BV2 microglia and primary glial cells; concomitant treatment of the cells with cannabigerol and telmisartan (a neuroprotective angiotensin receptor blocker) decreased nitric oxide production additively. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression was also reduced by cannabigerol. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a major cytokine involved in MS, was significantly reduced by cannabigerol in both cell cultures. Next, we studied the effects of cannabigerol in vivo using a mice model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The clinical scores of EAE mice were attenuated upon cannabigerol treatment; additionally, lumbar sections of EAE mice showed enhanced neuronal loss (relative to control mice), which was restored by cannabigerol treatment. Altogether, the set of experiments presented in this work indicates that cannabigerol possesses an appealing therapeutic potential for the treatment of MS.

While spinach is an established nutritionally important crop, its medicinal value is not as well known. Spinach is rich in ecdysteroids, insect hormone analogs with a number of medicinal properties including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and even anabolic activity. However, the potential of spinach as a medicinal plant has not yet been developed. In this study, the ecdysteroid content of spinach was optimized to increase its therapeutic value. Spinach seeds from various sources were grown under controlled hydroponic conditions and analyzed for ecdysteroid content and related anabolic activity. Variations in ecdysteroid content and the related anabolic activity were observed among spinach accessions. A selected variety, Spinacia oleracea cv. Turkey, was exposed to various physical and chemical elicitors to increase and stabilize ecdysteroid content. A number of elicitors, including methyl salicylate and mechanical damage, significantly increased ecdysteroid content and anabolic activity 24 h after exposure. The effect was transient and disappeared 48 h thereafter. Further work is needed to identify the most suitable germplasm and elicitation conditions for optimal ecdysteroid content.