Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 4-28-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Kristine Willett
Second Advisor
Courtney Roper
Third Advisor
Nicole Ashpole
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Due to the increasing prevalence of cannabis product availability and usage in the modern United States, particularly among pregnant individuals, evaluating the bioaccumulation of minor cannabinoids to further understand the adverse effects of cannabinoids during early development is critical. This study quantitated the uptake of eight minor cannabinoids ((∆8-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆8-THC), ∆9-THC, ∆10-THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)) in zebrafish larvae following water-borne 2 µM exposures from 6 to 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). Larvae were homogenized at 96 hpf and analyzed using a gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method developed in this study. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were calculated by comparing tissue and water concentrations for each compound. Results revealed varying levels of bioaccumulation, with THCV and CBD having the highest BCFs (712 and 280, respectively), and CBG and ∆8-THC with the lowest (43 and 56, respectively). HHC consistently demonstrated low recovery across replicates. These findings suggest that structural features such as lipophilicity and planarity can influence cannabinoid uptake in zebrafish. This study provides a validated method for quantification and highlights the importance of understanding cannabinoid specific accumulation in developmental models. The results from this study support the need for further investigation into how developmental cannabinoid exposure may contribute to lasting physiological or behavioral outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Holt, Kamdyn A., "Determining the Bioaccumulation of Minor Cannabinoids in Zebrafish Larvae" (2025). Honors Theses. 3362.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3362
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