Search

"Hemp" refers to non-intoxicating, low delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) cultivars of Cannabis sativa L. "Marijuana" refers to cultivars with high levels of Δ9-THC, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid found in the plant and a federally controlled substance used for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. Although marijuana and hemp belong to the same genus and species, they differ in terms of chemical and genetic composition, production practices, product uses, and regulatory status. Hemp seed and hemp seed oil have been shown to have valuable nutritional capacity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid with a wide therapeutic index and acceptable side effect profile, has demonstrated high medicinal potential in some conditions. Several countries and states have facilitated the use of THC-dominant medical cannabis for certain conditions, while other countries continue to ban all forms of cannabis regardless of cannabinoid profile or low psychoactive potential. Today, differentiating between hemp and marijuana in the laboratory is no longer a difficult process. Certain thin layer chromatography (TLC) methods can rapidly screen for cannabinoids, and several gas and liquid chromatography techniques have been developed for precise quantification of phytocannabinoids in plant extracts and biological samples. Geographic regulations and testing guidelines for cannabis continue to evolve. As they are improved and clarified, we can better employ the appropriate applications of this uniquely versatile plant from an informed scientific perspective., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Salehi, Puchalski, Shokoohinia, Zolfaghari and Asgary.)

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, millions of people have been infected and died worldwide. However, no drug has been approved for the treatment of this disease and its complications, which urges the need for finding novel therapeutic agents to combat. Among the complications due to COVID-19, lung injury has attained special attention. Besides, phytochemicals have shown prominent anti-inflammatory effects and thus possess significant effects in reducing lung injury caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Also, the prevailing evidence reveales the antiviral effects of those phytochemicals, including anti-SARS-CoV activity, which could pave the road in providing suitable lead compounds in the treatment of COVID-19. In the present study, candidate phytochemicals and related mechanisms of action have been shown in the treatment/protection of lung injuries induced by various methods. In terms of pharmacological mechanism, phytochemicals have shown potential inhibitory effects on inflammatory and oxidative pathways/mediators, involved in the pathogenesis of lung injury during COVID-19 infection. Also, a brief overview of phytochemicals with anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds has been presented., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Majnooni, Fakhri, Shokoohinia, Kiyani, Stage, Mohammadi, Gravand, Farzaei and Echeverria.)

Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer. Given its high mortality, the interest in the search of preventive measures, such as dietary factors, is growing significantly. In this study we tested, in vitro and in vivo , the potential anti-cancer effect of the acetyl deacylasadisulfide (ADA), a vinyl disulfide compound, isolated and purified from asafoetida a foul-smelling oleo gum-resin of dietary and medicinal relevance. ADA markedly suppressed proliferation of human melanoma cell lines by inducing apoptosis. Moreover, treatment of melanoma cells with ADA reduced nuclear translocation and activation of NF-κB, decreased the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins c-FLIP, XIAP, and Bcl-2 and inhibited the phosphorylation and activation of both AKT and ERK proteins, two of the most frequently deregulated pathways in melanoma. Finally, the results obtained in vitro were substantiated by the findings that ADA significantly and dose-dependently reduced lung metastatic foci formation in C57BL/6 mice. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ADA significantly inhibits melanoma progression in vivo and could represent an important lead compound for the development of new anti-metastatic agents.