Investigation of the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on CaCo-2 cell line

From past to present, plants have been used for medicinal purposes. The secondary metabolites in its content do not directly affect the life of the plant, but serve in the defense mechanisms and provide resistance to environmental conditions. These metabolites have therapeutic properties. Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the secondary metabolites, can affect the endocannaboid system (ECS) directly or indirectly. ECS is a system that contains CB-1 and CB-2 receptors. These receptors have been the subject of many studies with their presence in cancerous cells. The aim of this thesis study is to investigate the effect of CBD on cell viability and caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 activity in cell apoptosis pathways in colon cancer CaCo-2 cell lines. Inhibition concentration (IC 50 ) value was determined as 115.271 µM by MTT (3-(4,5- dimethylthiazole 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromide) test, which is one of the cell viability methods. ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) test was applied for caspase activities in cells exposed to CBD at concentrations of 1/10 and 1/100 of this value for 24 and 48 hours. In line with these results, it was observed that caspase-3 expression increased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05). No change was observed in caspase-8 and caspase-9 compared to the control group. As a result of this thesis, the literature studies and the increase in the expression of caspase-3 in CaCo- 2 cell lines confirm the views that CBD can be a potential anticarcinogen. This shows that it can minimize the effects of currently used treatments such as surgical excision, chemotherapy, radiation and immune therapy.