Effects of β -caryophyllene, A Dietary Cannabinoid, in Animal Models of Drug Addiction

Abstract

Background: β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene found in Ccannabis and other plants. BCP is currently used as a food additive, although pharmacological studies suggest its potential therapeutic application for the treatment of certain brain disorders. The mechanisms of action of BCP remain uncertain, possibly including full agonism at the cannabinoid CB 2 receptor (CB 2 R). Objective: The study aims to investigate the BCP’s potential as a new drug for the treatment of substance use disorders, by reviewing preclinical studies with animal models. Results: BCP has been investigated in behavioral paradigms, including drug self-administration, conditioned place preference, and intracranial self-stimulation; the drugs tested were cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and methamphetamine. Remarkably, BCP prevented or reversed behavioral changes resulting from drug exposure. As expected, the mechanism of action entails CB 2 R activation, although this is unlikely to constitute the only molecular target to explain such effects. Another potential target is the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Conclusion: Preclinical studies report promising results with BCP in animal models of substance use disorders. Further research, including studies in humans, are warranted to establish its therapeutic potential and its mechanisms of action.

Terpenes fromCannabis sativaInduce Antinociception in Mouse Chronic Neuropathic Pain via Activation of Spinal Cord Adenosine A2AReceptors

“…Another key translational feature we tested was reward liability by CPP; all terpenes lacked reward liability, while a few did show aversion liability. Few studies have tested the affective properties of terpenes, and those that have mostly did so in terms of their effects on other drugs of abuse [23][24][25][26]34]. Promisingly, all those studies did show that the terpenes tested reduced place preference and self-administration of drugs of abuse like cocaine, although β-caryophyllene was the only terpene tested that was also tested in our studies above.…”

“…However, there has been very little exploration of other crucial translational features of terpene therapy, including side effects. We thus sought to investigate the potential reward liability of our terpenes using conditioned place preference (CPP), which has only been tested for a few terpenes in a limited way, and mostly for their impact on other drugs of abuse [23][24][25][26]. We tested for terpene reward liability in an unbiased, counter-balanced 4-day CPP conditioning protocol (see Methods).…”

Understanding Brain Diseases: From Receptor Dysregulation to Neurodegeneration, Neuroinflammation and Memory Impairment

“…β-caryophyllene (BCP), are under investigation for the treatment of neurological disorders and addiction. The review by Asth et al [ 11 ] discussed the potential of BCP as a new drug for the treatment of substance use disorders, by reviewing preclinical studies employing animal models. Interestingly, various studies indicate that BCP prevents or reverses behavioral changes resulting from exposure to drugs, such as cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and methamphetamine.…”