Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of consumption (ingestion) of Cannabis sativa on the gastrointestinal tract using mucus concentration, acid secretion and ulceration in animal (rats) model as indices. Three groups of six (6) rats each were used. The control group were fed on rat chow only while another group were fed on low dose of Cannabis sativa 0.5gm/100g body weight and another group were fed on high dose of Cannibis sativa 0.8mg/100g body weight for 28 days respectively and allowed free access to food and water. At the end of 28 days, the results showed that the acid secretion in the high dose group was significantly (P<0.001) higher than in low dose group while the mucus concentration in low dose and high dose group respectively were significantly lower (P<0.01) than control. The mucus concentration in high dose was significantly lower (P<0.001) than low dose group when the test groups were compared. Similarly the ulcer scores were higher in low dose group (P<0.05) and in high dose group (P<0.001) respectively when compared with control group. The ulceration in high dose group was significantly higher (P<0.001) than the low dose group. In conclusion, ingestion of Cannabis sativa causes decrease in adherent gastric mucus, increase acid secretion and increase in gastric ulceration in a dose dependent fashion. The liberal use of Cannabis sativa should therefore be discouraged.
Highlights
Cannabis sativa is a dioecious annual green and leafy plant
COLLECTION AND PREPARATION OF EXTRACT Cannabis sativa was obtained from a farm in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria
The result shows that there was significant increase (P
Summary
Cannabis sativa is a dioecious annual green and leafy plant. The most important cannabis sativa products in food and drug trade are whole hemp seed, hulled hemp seed, hemp seed oil, marijuana and hashish (Adams and Martin, 1996). Herbal cannabis contains over 400 compounds including 60 cannabinoids which are aryl substituted meroterpenes. Hemp is increasingly spoken of as one of the nutritionally complete food sources in the world, second only to soyabeans (Amerio, 1998; Callaway, 2004). Hemp protein contains amino acids considered a high quality and highly digestible protein source. It contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids which are good for the body system (Osborne and Curtis, 2007)
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