Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34138862›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Sodium alginate microencapsulation improves the short-term oral bioavailability of cannabidiol when administered with deoxycholic acid.

Maimuna Majimbi, Emily Brook, Peter Galettis, Edward Eden, Hani Al-Salami, Armin Mooranian, Hesham Al-Sallami, Virginie Lam, John C L Mamo, Ryusuke Takechi

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Cannabidiol: Pharmaceutical formulations and biomedical applications.Iranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
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  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Maimuna MajimbiCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Emily BrookCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Peter GalettisSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle and The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Edward EdenSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle and The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Hani Al-SalamiCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Armin MooranianCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Hesham Al-SallamiSchool of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-0685-327X
Virginie LamCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
John C L MamoCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Ryusuke TakechiCurtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6359-3382
Curtin University · AUUniversity of Newcastle Australia · AUUniversity of Otago · NZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCannabidiol (CBD) confers therapeutic effects in some neurological disorders via modulation of inflammatory, oxidative and cell-signalling pathways. However, CBD is lipophilic and highly photooxidative with low oral bioavailability in plasma and brain. In this study, we aimed to design and test a CBD microencapsulation method as a drug delivery strategy to improve the absorption of CBD. Additionally, we evaluated the brain uptake of CBD capsules when administered alongside capsules containing a permeation-modifying bile acid, deoxycholic acid (DCA).

methodsMicrocapsules containing either CBD or DCA were formed using the ionic gelation method with 1.5% sodium alginate formulations and 100 mM calcium chloride. C57BL/6J wild type mice randomly assigned to three treatment groups (3-4 mice per group) were administered CBD in the following preparations: 1) CBD capsules, 2) CBD capsules + DCA capsules and 3) naked CBD oil (control). To assess the short-term bioavailability of CBD, plasma and brain samples were collected at 0.3, 1 and 3 hours post administration and CBD levels were analysed with liquid chromatography mass spectrometer.

resultsWe produced spherical capsules at 400 ± 50 μm in size. The CBD capsules were calculated to have a drug loading of 2% and an encapsulation efficiency of 23%. Mice that received CBD capsules + DCA capsules showed a 40% and 47% increase in CBD plasma concentration compared to mice on CBD capsules and naked CBD oil, respectively. Furthermore, the CBD capsules + DCA capsules group showed a 48% and 25% increase in CBD brain concentration compared to mice on CBD capsules and naked CBD oil, respectively. In mice treated with CBD capsules + DCA capsules, the brain CBD concentration peaked at 0.3 hours with a 300% increased availability compared to CBD capsules and naked CBD oil groups, which peaked at 1 hour after administration.

conclusionsThe microencapsulation method combined with a permeation enhancer, DCA increased the short-term bioavailability of CBD in plasma and brain.

Indexed as

AlginatesBiological AvailabilityCannabidiolDeoxycholic AcidMice, Inbred C57BLAdministration, OralAnimalsBrainCapsulesDrug CompoundingMaleMiceAlginatesCannabidiolCapsulesDeoxycholic Acid

Identifiers

PMID34138862
PMCPMC8211198
OpenAlexW3170873740

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.