“To characterize the functional brain changes involved in δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) modulation of chronic neuropathic pain.
Cannabidiol Administered During Peri-Adolescence Prevents Behavioral Abnormalities in an Animal Model of Schizophrenia.
“Schizophrenia is considered a debilitating neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorder and its pharmacotherapy remains problematic without recent major advances. The development of interventions able to prevent the emergence of schizophrenia would therefore represent an enormous progress.
Here, we investigated whether treatment with cannabidiol (CBD – a compound of Cannabis sativa that presents an antipsychotic profile in animals and humans) during peri-adolescence would prevent schizophrenia-like behavioral abnormalities in an animal model of schizophrenia: the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) strain.
Treatment with CBD prevented the emergence of SHRs’ hyperlocomotor activity (a model for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia) and deficits in prepulse inhibition of startle and contextual fear conditioning (cognitive impairments). CBD did not induce any of the potential motor or metabolic side effects evaluated. Treatment with CBD increased the prefrontal cortex 5-HIAA/serotonin ratio and the levels of 5-HIAA on post-natal days 61 and 90, respectively.
Our data provide pre-clinical evidence for a safe and beneficial effect of peripubertal and treatment with CBD on preventing positive and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, and suggest the involvement of the serotoninergic system on this effect.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30186164
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00901/full
Fast extraction of cannabinoids in marijuana samples by using hard-cap espresso machines.
“A simple, quick and low cost procedure was developed for the extraction of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabinol from marijuana samples, based on the use of a hard-cap espresso extraction with 2-propanol. After extraction, cannabinoids were directly determined after appropriate dilution by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry, reaching a limit of detection from 0.03 to 0.05 mg g-1. Extraction efficiency was evaluated by the comparison of results obtained for seized samples by the proposed method and a reference methodology based on ultrasound-assisted extraction. Moreover, ion mobility was proposed for the rapid and sensitive determination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol providing a quick response for the analysis of seized marijuana samples in 1 min, including extraction, dilution and determination.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30172516
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039914018308178?via%3Dihub
“Iron accumulation in the brain has been recognized as a common feature of both normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Cognitive dysfunction has been associated to iron excess in brain regions in humans. We have previously described that iron overload leads to severe memory deficits, including spatial, recognition, and emotional memory impairments in adult rats.
In the present study we investigated the effects of neonatal iron overload on proteins involved in apoptotic pathways, such as Caspase 8, Caspase 9, Caspase 3, Cytochrome c, APAF1, and PARP in the hippocampus of adult rats, in an attempt to establish a causative role of iron excess on cell death in the nervous system, leading to memory dysfunction.
“The plant Cannabis sativa L. has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries and is the most important source of phytocannabinoids.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of receptors, endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) and metabolizing enzymes, and plays an important role in different physiological and pathological processes.
Phytocannabinoids and synthetic 
“Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities and often intellectual disabilities.
No effective treatment for the core symptoms of ASD is currently available.
There is increasing interest in 
“Stressful conditions affect the brain’s neurotransmission and neural pathways that are involved in seizure susceptibility. Stress alters the intensity and/or frequency of seizures.
Although evidence indicates that chronic stress exerts proconvulsant effects and acute stress has anticonvulsant properties, the underlying mechanisms which mediate these effects are not well understood.
In the present study, we assessed the role of endogenous opioids, endocannabinoids, as well as functional interaction between opioid and 
“The gut microbiota plays a fundamental role on the education and function of the host immune system.
Immunological dysregulation is the cause of numerous human disorders such as autoimmune diseases and metabolic disorders frequently associated with inflammatory processes therefore is critical to explore novel mechanisms involved in maintaining the immune system homeostasis.
The