Ultrasound-assisted extraction of cannabidiol from Moroccan Cannabis sativa L. (Beldia) and antioxidant activities of its fractions

Cannabidiol (CBD), a major phytocannabinoid in Cannabis sativa, exhibits diverse therapeutic properties, as demonstrated by in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies. These properties include antiseizure, anticonvulsant, antiarthritic, cardioprotective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, neuroprotective, antiepileptic, and anticancer effects.

This study describes the ultrasound-assisted extraction, isolation, and characterization of CBD from Moroccan Cannabis sativa resin. The petroleum ether - diethyl ether (PE-DE), methanol (MeOH) and water were used as extracting solvents by increasing gradient polarities. Isolation of CBD was achieved through successive normal silica and C18-reversed phase silica gel column chromatography of the PE-DE fraction. Characterization was conducted using infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The antioxidant activity of fractions was assessed by the DPPH assay. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were measured with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum trichloride methods, respectively.

The PE-DE fraction showed the highest TPC (44.91 mg EAG/g), followed by MeOH (28.78 mg EAG/g) and water (5.91 mg EAG/g) fractions. The TFC was also highest in the PE-DE fraction (3.733 mg QuE/g), followed by MeOH (2.140 mg QuE/g) and water (0.167 mg QuE/g) fractions. The antioxidant assay revealed significant activity for PE-DE (IC₅₀ = 62.54 µg/mL) and MeOH (IC₅₀ = 96.12 µg/mL) fractions, compared to the water fraction (IC₅₀ = 252.72 µg/mL). Ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 7.088 µg/mL) was used as a control.

In light of Morocco's cannabis legalization, these findings suggest that extracts and pure compounds from Moroccan Cannabis may have potential applications in the medical and nutritional fields.