Hemp in Veterinary Medicine: From Feed to Drug

Abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is an angiosperm plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family. Its cultivation dates back to centuries. It has always been cultivated due to the possibility of exploiting almost all the parts of the plant: paper, fabrics, ropes, bio-compounds with excellent insulating capacity, fuel, biodegradable plastic, antibacterial detergents, and food products, such as flour, oils, seeds, herbal teas, and beer, are indeed obtained from hemp. Hemp flowers have also always been used for their curative effects, as well as for recreational purposes due to their psychotropic effects. Cannabis contains almost 500 chemical compounds, such as phytocannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and macro-, and micro-elements, among others. When utilized as a food source, hemp shows excellent nutritional and health-promoting (nutraceutical) properties, mainly due to the high content in polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially those belonging to the ω-3 series), as well as in phenolic compounds, which seem effective in the prevention of common diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and others. Moreover, hemp oil and other oils (i.e., olive oil and medium-chain triglyceride-MCT-oil) enriched in CBD, as well as extracts from hemp dried flowers (Cannabis extracts), are authorized in some countries for therapeutic purposes as a second-choice approach (when conventional therapies have failed) for a certain number of clinical conditions such as pain and inflammation, epilepsy, anxiety disorders, nausea, emesis, and anorexia, among others. The present review will synthetize the beneficial properties of hemp and hemp derivatives in animal nutrition and therapeutics.

Expression of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors in the oral mucosa of healthy cats and cats with chronic gingivostomatitis

“…59 At present, to the best of our knowledge, no clinical studies regarding the use of cannabinoids in cats are available whereas there is a growing body of literature in dogs. 60 Nonetheless, considering cannabinoid properties, mechanisms of action and favourable results in treating other complex diseases of different species, it is believed that they could exert a positive therapeutic effect on some diseases that are still challenging for veterinarians, such as FCGS, by reducing the associated inflammation/pain and controlling dental plaque bacteria.…”

“…59 At present, to the best of our knowledge, no clinical studies regarding the use of cannabinoids in cats are available whereas there is a growing body of literature in dogs. 60…”

Polyphenols and Cannabidiol Modulate Transcriptional Regulation of Th1/Th2 Inflammatory Genes Related to Canine Atopic Dermatitis

“…However, natural substances, such as polyphenols, that can interfere with phase I and/or II enzymes and/or with enteric P-glycoprotein enhance its plasma levels in rats ~6-fold ( 73 ). Finally, among the three compounds tested in our investigation, cannabidiol is the only ingredient that has been studied in dogs, where its detected oral bioavailability ranged from 13 to 19% of the administered dose ( 74 , 75 ). Therefore, despite our study being performed in vitro , these previously reported findings suggest that our results could be considered valid with respect to a nutraceutical approach to treating canine AD.…”

Cannabis, Cannabidiol Oils and Tetrahydrocannabinol—What Do Veterinarians Need to Know?

“…Hemp seed and hemp seed cake could be used as feed materials for all animal species and EFSA defined maximum incorporation rates in the complete feed per species e.g., 3–7% in poultry, 2–5% in pigs for hemp seed and hemp seed cake, 5% in ruminants for hemp seed cake and 5% in fish for hemp seed. Feeding efficacy trials also demonstrate that hemp and its derivates may be included in diets of livestock as a good source of crude protein and essential fats [ 61 , 62 ].…”