Chromatographic analyses, in vitro biological activities and cytotoxicity of Cannabis sativa L. essential oil: a multidisciplinary study

Due to a renewed interest in the cultivation and production of Italian Cannabis sativa L., we proposed a multi-methodological approach to explore chemically and biologically both the essential oil and the aromatic water of this plant. We reported the chemical composition in terms of cannabinoid content, volatile component, phenolic and flavonoid pattern and colour characteristics. Then, we demonstrated the ethnopharmacological relevance of this plant cultivated in Italy as a source of antioxidant compounds, towards a large panel of enzymes (pancreatic lipase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, cholinesterases) and selected clinically relevant, multidrug-sensible and -resistant microbial strains (S. aureus, H. pylori, Candida and Malassezia spp.), and evaluating the cytotoxic effects against normal and malignant cell lines. Preliminary in vivo cytotoxicity was also performed on G. mellonella larvae. The results corroborate the use of this natural product as a rich source of important biologically active molecules with particular emphasis on the role exerted by naringenin, as one of the most important secondary metabolites