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Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Commercially Available Cannabidiol Isolate, Broad-Spectrum, and Full-Spectrum Products

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European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and Objectives

A wide variety of products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are available on the commercial market. One of the most common products, CBD oil, is administered to self-treat a variety of conditions. These oils are available as CBD isolate, broad-spectrum [all terpenes and minor cannabinoids except Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)], or full-spectrum (all terpenes and minor cannabinoids with THC < 0.3% dried weight) products. A systematic pharmacokinetic study was performed to determine whether there are differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters and systemic exposure of CBD after oral dosing as an isolate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum product.

Methods

Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were treated with a single, equivalent oral dose of CBD delivered as isolate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum product. An additional study using an in-house preparation of CBD isolate plus 0.2% THC was performed. A permeability assay was also conducted to investigate whether the presence of THC alters the intestinal permeability of CBD.

Results

There was an increase in the oral bioavailability of CBD (12% and 21% in male and female rats, respectively) when administered as a full-spectrum product compared with the isolate and broad-spectrum products. There was no difference in the bioavailability of CBD between the commercially available full-spectrum formulation (3.1% CBD; containing 0.2% THC plus terpenes and other minor cannabinoids) versus the in-house preparation of CBD full-spectrum (CBD isolate 3.2% plus 0.2% THC isolate). In vitro permeability assays demonstrated that the presence of THC increases permeability of CBD while also decreasing efflux through the gut wall.

Conclusions

The presence of 0.2% THC increased the oral bioavailability of CBD in male and female rats, indicating that full-spectrum products may produce increased effectiveness of CBD due to a greater exposure available systemically.

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Acknowledgements

The author(s) would like to acknowledge Dr. Bonnie A. Avery for her contributions to the success of this work group.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Lance R. McMahon

    Present address: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo, Amarillo, TX, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Erin C. Berthold, Shyam H. Kamble, Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri, Michelle A. Kuntz, Alexandria S. Senetra, Yi-Hua Chiang, Christopher R. McCurdy & Abhisheak Sharma

  2. Translational Drug Development Core, University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Shyam H. Kamble, Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri, Christopher R. McCurdy & Abhisheak Sharma

  3. Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Lance R. McMahon

  4. Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Christopher R. McCurdy

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Correspondence to Abhisheak Sharma.

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Authors contributions

ECB: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, writing—original draft, preparation. SHK, SRRK, and MAK: methodology, investigation, writing—review and editing. ASS and YHC: investigation, writing—review and editing. LRM and CRM: supervision, material supply, review and editing, AS: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, investigation, supervision, review and editing.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

All the animal studies were performed after approval from the University of Florida Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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Funding

This project is part of the University of Florida’s “Creating the Healthiest Generation” Moonshot Initiative, which is supported by the UF Office of the Provost, UF Office of Research, UF Health, UF College of Medicine, and the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

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Berthold, E.C., Kamble, S.H., Kanumuri, S.R.R. et al. Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Commercially Available Cannabidiol Isolate, Broad-Spectrum, and Full-Spectrum Products. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 48, 427–435 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13318-023-00839-3

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