The Effects of Cannabis and Echinacea Purpurea on Lung Cancer Cells
Phytocannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are frequently shown to kill cancer cells or exert other anticancer effects via interactions with cannabinoid receptors. Both CB1 and CB2 receptors are implicated in anticancer effects of THC and CBD. While phytocannabinoids are the chief class of natural compounds demonstrated to interact with cannabinoid receptors, there are other plants which appear to possess cannabinoid-like activity. Echinacea is a genus of plants with a long history of use for immune support, although there are mixed results for how effective it really is. Nonetheless, it is quite interesting that Echinacea may work through the endocannabinoid system to potentially impart health benefits.
A new January 2021 study published in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies tested the Echinacea purpurea species along with a whole-plant cannabis extract on lung cancer cells. The roots of Echinacea were extracted with dichloromethane while cannabis flowers were extracted with methanol. The cannabinoid composition of the cannabis product was not clear but appeared to be CBD-rich. Both Echinacea and cannabis were shown to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in A549 lung cancer cells through CB2 receptor activation. Furthermore, the downstream effects were also similar, with both extracts leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species and activation of the caspase-3 enzyme, which is involved in breaking down proteins as part of the apoptosis process.
Both plants also induced cell death in a time- and dose-dependent manner. As concentrations of the extracts were increased and allowed to interact with the lung cancer cells for a longer time, more of those cells died. The following chart demonstrates the reduction in viable cells following cannabis exposure for various timeframes (A = 24 hours, B = 36 hours, C = 48 hours). The next chart shows results for Echinacea.
Reduction of Lung Cancer Cell Viability in Response to Cannabis Extract
Reduction of Lung Cancer Cell Viability in Response to Echinacea Extract
More research is needed to clarify how these effects could translate to humans. For patients who do not respond to cannabis or cannot tolerate it for some reason, using other natural means of stimulating the endocannabinoid system may be appropriate.
