“Objectives: This study aimed to explore the use of D-limonene and some vegetable oils with different amounts of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids as alternative green solvents for microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.). A standardized cannabis extract was selected to evaluate its potential as a chemopreventive agent.
Materials and methods: Alternative green solvents, powder-to-solvent ratios, and irradiation cycles were determined to optimize the MAE conditions. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to assess the cytotoxic effects against human breast cancer (MCF-7), liver cancer (HepG2), and mammary epithelium (hTert-HME1) cell lines.
Results: The extracts obtained from D-limonene and palm oil contained the highest concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD) and D-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A standardized D-limonene extract of cannabis (DEC) containing 0.03% w/w CBD and 1.37% w/w THC was selected for the evaluation of cytotoxic activity compared with CBD and THC. The results revealed that CBD and THC exhibited significant cytotoxic effects (p<0.05) against MCF-7 and HepG2, with the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 18.5 and 12.37 μg/mL for CBD and 24.21 and 4.30 μg/mL for THC, respectively, whereas DEC exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (IC50 of 488.85 μg/mL). However, CBD and THC exhibited significant cytotoxicity (p<0.05) against hTert-HME1 (IC50 values of 35.61 and 25.63 μg/mL, respectively), whereas DEC exhibited low cytotoxicity against hTert-HME1 (IC50 of 1.537.03 μg/mL).
Conclusion: DECs containing appropriate levels of THC and CBD have the potential to be candidates for cancer treatment. However, further investigations are required to improve the efficacy and safety profiles.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40052396/
“The present study identified D-limonene and palm oil as promising alternative green solvents for extracting cannabinoids from cannabis inflorescences under MAE optimal conditions. The MAE method offers several advantages, including reduced time and energy consumption. In this study, DEC exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells with higher selectivity than CBD and THC. Therefore, DEC containing an appropriate amount of THC and CBD may exhibit a more satisfying anticancer effect and be a promising candidate for cancer treatment. However, additional research is required to understand the mechanisms of anticancer activity and to investigate additional efficacy and safety profiles.”