A new laboratory research study, published on 6 January in the Free Radical Biology and Medicine journal, has found how cannabinol can protect aging brain cells from damage caused by oxidative stress.
Cannabinol is a cannabinoid compound produced by cannabis plants, similar to the compounds THC and CBD, but without their psychoactive properties. A team of researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies had previously observed that brain cells treated with cannabinol were protected from damage caused by oxidative stress. This type of damage is thought to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In their new study, they identify the biological mechanism behind the protective properties of cannabinol, also known as CBN.
Analysing the behaviour and function of brain cells that were treated with CBN, they noticed that the mitochondria of cells that weren’t treated with CBN became dysfunctional in the presence of agents that cause oxidative stress. Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of cells, generating energy that is necessary for many processes that keep cells healthy and functioning. However, when brain cells were treated with CBN, their mitochondria retained their function in the presence of oxidative stress. Further experiments confirmed that the protection of mitochondria by CBN allowed brain cells to remain healthy in oxidative stress conditions, and also showed that CBN was not psychoactive.
The researchers are continuing their studies in animal models of disease, to see if the protective effects on brain cells translate to cognitive or functional benefits.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584922000016
