Nutritional Value of Commercial Protein-Rich Plant Products.

 Plant Foods for Human Nutrition

“The goal of this work was to analyze nutritional value of various minimally processed commercial products of plant protein sources such as faba bean (Vicia faba), lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), rapeseed press cake (Brassica rapa/napus subsp. Oleifera), flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum), oil hemp seed (Cannabis sativa), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). Basic composition and various nutritional components like amino acids, sugars, minerals, and dietary fiber were determined. Nearly all the samples studied could be considered as good sources of essential amino acids, minerals and dietary fiber. The highest content of crude protein (over 30 g/100 g DW) was found in faba bean, blue lupin and rapeseed press cake. The total amount of essential amino acids (EAA) ranged from 25.8 g/16 g N in oil hemp hulls to 41.5 g/16 g N in pearled quinoa. All the samples studied have a nutritionally favorable composition with significant health benefit potential. Processing (dehulling or pearling) affected greatly to the contents of analyzed nutrients.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29500810

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11130-018-0660-7

Absence of cannabinoid 1 receptor in beta cells protects against high-fat/high-sugar diet-induced beta cell dysfunction and inflammation in murine islets.

Diabetologia

“The cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) regulates insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in peripheral tissues. CB1R is expressed on pancreatic beta cells and is coupled to the G protein Gαi, suggesting a negative regulation of endogenous signalling in the beta cell.

To assess the direct contribution of beta cell CB1R to metabolism, we designed a mouse model that allows us to determine the role of CB1R specifically in beta cells in the context of whole-body metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION:

Our data demonstrate CB1R to be a negative regulator of beta cell function and a mediator of islet inflammation under conditions of metabolic stress. Our findings point to beta cell CB1R as a therapeutic target, and broaden its potential to include anti-inflammatory effects in both major forms of diabetes.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29497784

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-018-4576-4

Role of cannabinoid receptor type 1 in rostral ventrolateral medulla in high-fat diet-induced hypertension in rats.

Image result for ovid journal

“Stimulation of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) increases renal sympathetic activity (RSNA) and blood pressure (BP) in rats. Thus, we hypothesized that CB1 receptor in the RVLM may play a critical role in the development of obesity-induced hypertension.

METHODS:

To this end, we evaluated the levels of endocannabinoids and CB1 receptors in the RVLM in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hypertensive rats. We then used pharmacological and molecular methods to examine the role of RVLM CB1 receptors in regulation of BP, heart rate (HR), and RSNA in obesity-induced hypertensive rats.

RESULTS:

We found that HFD-fed rats exhibited higher basal BP, HR, and RSNA than standard diet-fed rats, which were associated with increased levels of endocannabinoids and CB1 receptor expression in the RVLM. Furthermore, unilateral intra-RVLM microinjections of AM251 (0, 100, or 500 nM/0.5 μl/site) dose-dependently decreased BP, HR, and RSNA to a greater extent in HFD-fed rats than in standard diet-fed rats. Finally, siRNA-mediated knockdown of CB1 receptor expression in the RVLM robustly decreased BP, HR, and RSNA in HFD-fed rats.

CONCLUSION:

Taken together, our results suggested that enhanced CB1 receptor-mediated neurotransmissions in the RVLM may play a role in the development of obesity-induced hypertension.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29493561

https://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00004872-201804000-00015

Hypoxia mimetic activity of VCE-004.8, a cannabidiol quinone derivative: implications for multiple sclerosis therapy.

Image result for journal of neuroinflammation

“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by a combination of inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes variously dominant in different stages of the disease. Thus, immunosuppression is the goal standard for the inflammatory stage, and novel remyelination therapies are pursued to restore lost function.

Cannabinoids such as 9Δ-THC and CBD are multi-target compounds already introduced in the clinical practice for multiple sclerosis (MS). Semisynthetic cannabinoids are designed to improve bioactivities and druggability of their natural precursors. VCE-004.8, an aminoquinone derivative of cannabidiol (CBD), is a dual PPARγ and CB2agonist with potent anti-inflammatory activity.

Activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) can have a beneficial role in MS by modulating the immune response and favoring neuroprotection and axonal regeneration.

We investigated the effects of VCE-004.8 on the HIF pathway in different cell types.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study provides new significant insights about the potential role of VCE-004.8 for MS treatment by ameliorating neuroinflammation and demyelination.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29495967

https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-018-1103-y

Toxicity, Cannabinoids.

Cover of StatPearls

“Cannabinoids are a collective group of compounds that act on cannabinoid receptors. They include plant-derived phytocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids, and endogenously-derived endocannabinoids. The primary source of cannabinoid toxicity is from plant-derived cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids. These agents act as cannabinoid receptor agonists. More than 60 naturally occurring cannabinoids are found in the Sativa and Indica species of Cannabis, with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being the main psychoactive compound. Other naturally occurring cannabinoids include cannabidiol and cannabinol. Marijuana is the most common colloquial name for crushed, dried leaves and flowers of the Cannabis plant. In recent years, there have been many reports of marijuana toxicity, primarily in the pediatric population, as medical and recreational marijuana has been legalized. The terms phytocannabinoids, marijuana and cannabis are used interchangeably. Synthetic cannabinoids were created for therapeutic and research purposes; however, despite legal efforts to limit their availability, synthetic cannabinoids have become an increasingly common drug of abuse, sold under various street names such as K2, Spice, and Black Mamba. Synthetic cannabinoids are associated with much more morbidity and mortality than the phytocannabinoids. Prescription preparations for medical usage include dronabinol, or pure THC, nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, and cannabidiol (CBD). Pharmaceutical use of cannabinoids is an ongoing field of research.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29489164

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482175/