Researchers in Lithuania investigated the effect of a water–oil–water emulsion gel containing CBD and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 24624 on the gut microbiome in an in-vitro human intestinal model.
“An innovative CBD-probiotic formulation can modulate gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity, suggesting its potential as a functional food innovation for intestinal health,” the researchers wrote.
Boosting bioavailability
CBD has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects in previous research.
While it can show low oral bioavailability when taken on an empty stomach, its bioavailability increases when consumed with fatty foods due to its lipophilic nature. High-fat meals enhance CBD absorption by delaying gastric emptying and stimulating bile secretion, resulting in more consistent pharmacokinetics and potentially improved therapeutic outcomes.
Therefore, the researchers immobilized CBD within a fat-containing double emulsion gel matrix to enhance its intestinal release. They also incorporated probiotic bacteria to further support gut health.
The current research utilized a formulation technique previously shown to protect probiotics under harsh gastric conditions, aiming to enhance bacterial survivability and enable sustained release of both probiotics and CBD in the colon.
Study details
Researchers prepared a water–oil–water emulsion gel containing CBD and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 24624 by blending the bacteria with oil, wax, an emulsifier and CBD to form a water-in-oil mixture. They then mixed this into a whey protein solution.
To evaluate gastrointestinal effects, they used the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) model, which mimics the stomach, small intestine, and three colon compartments under controlled anaerobic conditions.
They filled the colon chambers with gut bacteria from a healthy donor and ran the system for six weeks. During the treatment period, they added the CBD–probiotic mixture twice a day with digestive enzymes and collected samples from the liquid contents and the gut lining.
Results showed that the CBD–probiotic emulsion changed gut bacteria in different ways depending on where the bacteria lived.
In the gut lining, the treatment increased bacteria linked to butyrate production, especially Roseburia and Dorea, which the researchers noted likely caused the observed rise in butyrate and the drop in acetate. Because butyrate supports gut health and reduces inflammation, this shift may be beneficial, they wrote.
The treatment also increased Clostridiaceae, a group that includes butyrate-producing bacteria. Additionally, some potentially harmful bacteria, including mucus-degrading species, disappeared after treatment, which the researchers suggest may help contribute to protecting the gut barrier.
The emulsion successfully released the probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, as its levels increased in the colon during treatment. The treatment also changed microbial activity by lowering acetate and propionate levels and increasing butyrate and lactate production.
The researchers concluded the “double emulsion gel system utilized in this study can be adapted for the delivery and successful release of probiotics and CBD to the gastrointestinal tract”.
They noted that future research should “clarify CBD’s molecular actions in the human gut in vivo and include rigorous clinical trials to fully evaluate its therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal disorders”.
Journal: Nutrients; “Advances in Functional Foods: Using Double Emulsion Gels to Deliver CBD and Probiotics and to Modulate Human Gut Microbial Communities.“ doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18030367; Authors: Jeznienė, S. Et
