Evaluation of the Cannabis sativa extract as a wound healing agent for skin lesions in rabbits caused by Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826)

• Grant number: 25/00122-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 15, 2025
• End date: April 14, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Izabel Souza Camargo
• Grantee: Davy Sapatini
• Supervisor: Ana Isabel Amaro Goncalves Domingos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/13159-0 - Histopathology of the liver of female rabbits hosting Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826) ticks exposed to Cannabis sativa extract., BP.IC

Abstract

The tick species Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826), known as the red dog tick, not only causes damage through blood loss but is also a vector for various pathogens. The control of these ectoparasites has been carried out through the use of acaricides based on synthetic chemical compounds, and despite their effectiveness, these substances induce resistance in the ticks. Plants have been studied as sources of bioactive compounds that may offer potential strategies for controlling these ectoparasites. Cannabis sativa is one such plant, whose properties have been used for numerous therapeutic purposes, initially in humans and more recently in animals, due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and acaricidal potential. Thus, due to the positive results regarding the efficacy and benefits of using C. sativa, with a focus on acaricidal action, the present project aims to conduct a study on the effects of topical exposure to the C. sativa extract, diluted in olive oil, at concentrations of 0.8 mg/mL, 0.4 mg/mL, and 0.2 mg/mL. This will be applied to skin lesions of rabbits infested with the dog tick R. linnaei, simulating host models. In addition, a histological analysis of the skin, carried out during the Scientific Initiation project, will be complemented by the evaluation of RNA sequences obtained from skin samples of these animals through the qPCR technique. This will help shed light on the anti-inflammatory action of the extract during the inflammation and healing processes that occur in the host after infestation by the ectoparasite.