Recent advancements have highlighted the potential of cannabis and its phytocannabinoids (pCBs) in skin health applications. These compounds, through their interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), show promise for skin health products. Their ability to regulate inflammation, oxidative stress and cell proliferation makes them useful in addressing skin problems such as inflammation, scarring, healing, acne and aging, positioning them as valuable tools for innovative skincare solutions. In the present work, the cellular and molecular effects of proprietary pCB-based formulations on ECS modulation, inflammation and skin regeneration were investigated. Using human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and keratinocytes (HaCaT), the effect of formulations in both pre-treatment and treatment scenarios following exposure to stress-inducing agents was assessed. Key molecular markers were analyzed to tackle their efficacy in mitigating inflammation and promoting structural integrity and regeneration. In vitro results showed that these formulations significantly reduced inflammation, promoted skin regeneration and improved structural functions. In vivo studies confirmed that the formulations were well-tolerated and led to noticeable improvements in skin health, including enhanced barrier function. This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of pCB-based formulations for cosmeceutical applications. By combining molecular analysis with in vivo testing, this research provides new insights into the therapeutic potential of pCBs for managing various skin conditions.

Background: Skin diseases of inflammatory origin, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and acne, have a substantial prevalence in the world population. Natural products are particularly important at a topical level. Essential oils are examples of natural products and thyme in particular has been used for medicinal purposes due to its biological properties. Objectives: The aim of present work was to study the anti-inflammatory potential of Thymus mastichina essential oil, focusing on purified terpene-rich fractions. whose major compounds were thymol and linalool, eucalyptol and α-terpineol, and γ-terpinene and terpinolene, respectively. Additionally, a phytocannabinoid formulation containing cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) was evaluated to explore potential synergistic effects. Methods: Thymus mastichina essential oil was extracted and purified to obtain terpene-enriched fractions, which were used to develop three distinct formulations. These were screened for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and assessed for cytotoxicity in HaCaT human keratinocytes. Anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated via gene expression. Selected thyme formulations—alone or in combination with CBD/CBG—were also tested in vivo using a mouse model of acute skin inflammation. Results: The antioxidant activity of the three formulations showed a reduction in DPPH radicals. In addition, the formulations demonstrated to be safe in vitro in the human keratinocyte cell model HaCaT. Under PMA-induced inflammatory stress, the fractions modulated-inflammatory gene expression to varying degrees While terpene fractions alone showed moderate activity, their combination with CBD/CBG enhanced the anti-inflammatory response. In vivo, the gel formulations reduced oedema in a mouse model of acute inflammation. Conclusions: The data support the safe and effective use of Thymus mastichina-derived terpene fractions for topical anti-inflammatory applications. The synergistic effect observed with CBD and CBG suggests that combining essential oil terpenes with phytocannabinoids may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for managing inflammatory skin disorders.

Background: Recent advancements have highlighted the potential of cannabis and its phy-tocannabinoids (pCBs) in skin health applications. These compounds, through their interac-tion with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), show promise for skin health products. Their ability to regulate inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular proliferation makes them bene-ficial in addressing skin issues like inflammation, scarring, healing, acne, and aging, posi-tioning them as valuable tools for innovative skincare solutions. Methods: We investigated the cellular and molecular effects of proprietary pCB-based for-mulations on ECS modulation, inflammation, and skin regeneration. Using human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and keratinocytes (HaCat), we assessed the formulations in both pre-treatment and treatment scenarios following exposure to stress-inducing agents. Key molecular markers were analyzed to tackle their efficacy in mitigating inflammation and promoting structural integrity and regeneration. Results: Our findings show that these formulations significantly reduce inflammation, pro-mote skin regeneration, and improve structural functions. In vivo studies confirmed that the formulations were well-tolerated and led to noticeable improvements in skin health, including enhanced barrier function. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of pCB-based formulations for cosmeceutical applications. By combining molecular analysis with in vivo testing, our research provides new insights into the therapeutic potential of pCBs for managing various skin con-ditions.

Interest is growing in the antimicrobial potential of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), and their metal systems. The present study follows on from previous potentiometric and ESI-MS studies confirming the formation of stable zinc(II) species with cannabinoid acids in an alcohol–water environment under physiological conditions. The antibacterial action of the compounds was assessed against reference Gram-negative strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis) and Gram-positive strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis) using minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Their cytotoxicity was also evaluated in vitro using mouse fibroblasts. The tested compounds were found to demonstrate pronounced selectivity against Gram-positive bacterial strains compared to Gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial efficacy of the free ligands was enhanced by the presence of Zn(II) in the solution: the equilibrium mixtures exhibited greater inhibitory activity against E. faecalis and S. epidermidis, with MIC and MBC values being non-cytotoxic toward L929 fibroblasts under the tested in vitro conditions. However, Gram-negative bacteria were only found to be susceptible at elevated concentrations, which also induced cytotoxic effects. Among the free ligands, CBGA exhibited slightly stronger antibacterial activity than CBDA.