Grants and Contributions:

Title:

Co-crystallization of hemp oil constituents and assessment for bioaccessibility using the TIM-1 in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model

Agreement Number:

EGP

Agreement Value:

$25,000.00

Agreement Date:

Dec 13, 2017 -

Organization:

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Location:

Ontario, CA

Reference Number:

GC-2017-Q3-00487

Agreement Type:

Grant

Report Type:

Grants and Contributions

Additional Information:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Recipient's Legal Name:

Rogers, Michael (University of Guelph)

Program:

Engage Grants for universities

Program Purpose:

In Canada, cannabis may be prescribed as a physician-recommended herbal therapy. While cannabis is typicallyx000D
smoked, inhalation of burned dry plant matter has obvious inherent health risks. Oral administration offersx000D
several key advantages, including elimination of pulmonary health risks and more accurate dosing of activex000D
ingredients such as THC and CBD. Oral administration does, however, suffer certain shortcomings andx000D
challenges as well. Bioavailability is defined as the proportion of a drug or other substance that entersx000D
circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect. This is therefore an importantx000D
property to assess when developing cannabis formulations for oral administration. Research has thus far shownx000D
that extensive liver metabolism reduces the oral bioavailability of THC to roughly 2-14%, while inhalation ofx000D
marijuana smoke offers a systemic bioavailability generally ranging between 10-35%. Others have reportedx000D
THC bioavailability after oral ingestion to be approximately 6% compared to 25% after smoking. The goal ofx000D
our current research project is to develop novel formulations of cannabinoids in an effort to improve oralx000D
bioavailability. Assessing for bioavailability poses some serious challenges, as human or animal subjects arex000D
required and plasma samples must be drawn. The TIM-1 simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion modelx000D
developed by TNO in the Netherlands is an advanced dissolution model with high correlation to in vivo testingx000D
and has been validated for use in drug delivery testing. Novel formulations can be assessed for bioavailabilityx000D
in a quick and cost-effective manner without the need for ethical approval when dealing with human or animalx000D
test subjects. This will allow rapid assessments of formulations and significantly increase the rate of innovationx000D
and discovery into enhancing oral bioavailability of cannabinoids.