Cannabidiol (CBD) is the predominant phytocannabinoid found in industrial hemp (C. sativa). Recently, there has been a growing interest in CBD due to its numerous presumed benefits and the absence of psychoactive side effects. In 2018, regulatory agencies approved the first CBD-based medication for the treatment of severe seizure disorders. Furthermore, the market for CBD products, promoted as dietary supplements has witnessed significant growth in recent years. However, these products pose a potential risk to consumers as they are inadequately regulated and may contain a wide range of phytocannabinoids with varying concentrations. Moreover, current research on the toxicity of CBD has yielded conflicting findings, making it challenging to establish the safety of CBD products. The aim of this master study was to investigate the toxicity of two CBD products on the HepG2 cell line, which we used as an in vitro model for human hepatocytes. The cells were exposed to graded concentrations of CBD, (CBD CP, containing 99.6 % CBD) and hemp extract (CBD EX, containing 63.6 % CBD) for 4 and 24 hours. Subsequently, we employed the MTT test, comet assay, and micronucleus test (CBMN) to evaluate potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects caused by these CBD samples. Our findings indicated that both samples exhibited cytotoxicity, with calculated IC50 values of 26.91 ± 2.27 μg/mL (CBD CP) and 26.20 ± 5.26 μg/mL (CBD EX) after 4 hours of exposure. After a 24-hour exposure, the IC50 values were 6.71 ± 0.59 μg/mL (CBD CP) and 7.90 ± 1.59 μg/mL (CBD EX). The MTT test enabled us to identify non-cytotoxic concentrations for further genotoxicity testing. The results of the comet assay and the CBMN test did not show an increase in DNA damage or chromosomal changes, such as micronuclei (MNi), nuclear buds (NBUDs), or nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs). Therefore, we can conclude that none of the CBD products tested induced genotoxic effects in the HepG2 cell line after CBD exposure.
|
