New CBD delivery system dramatically improved absorption compared to standard oil
A self-emulsifying CBD formulation achieved 4.4 times higher peak blood levels and nearly 3 times greater absorption than CBD dissolved in standard MCT oil.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The SEDDS-CBD formulation produced a 4.4-fold higher peak concentration (Cmax), 2.85-fold higher 8-hour exposure (AUC0-8h), and reached peak levels in 1 hour versus 3 hours for standard MCT oil. The formulation also reduced gender-based absorption differences.
Key Numbers
25 mg CBD dose; Cmax 4.4-fold higher; AUC0-8h 2.85-fold higher; AUC0-24h 1.70-fold higher; Tmax 1.0 hour vs. 3.0 hours; 16 subjects in crossover design.
How They Did This
Randomized, double-blind, crossover study in 16 healthy volunteers under fasting conditions, comparing SEDDS-CBD against the same hemp extract in MCT oil, both standardized to 25 mg CBD.
Why This Research Matters
CBD's poor and unpredictable oral absorption is a major barrier to consistent therapeutic effects. A delivery system that dramatically improves bioavailability could make CBD dosing more reliable and effective.
The Bigger Picture
Most commercial CBD products use simple oil-based formulations with notoriously poor absorption. This type of drug delivery technology could close the gap between what works in research settings and what consumers actually absorb.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample (16 subjects). Tested only a single 25 mg dose under fasting conditions. Long-term use not assessed. The formulation technology is proprietary (VESIsorb), limiting independent replication.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the improved bioavailability translate to better clinical outcomes?
- ?How does food affect this formulation's absorption?
- ?Would lower doses of SEDDS-CBD match higher doses of conventional CBD products?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 4.4x higher peak CBD levels
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: well-designed crossover RCT but small sample size and single-dose design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- A Novel Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) Based on VESIsorb® Formulation Technology Improving the Oral Bioavailability of Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects.
- Published In:
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(16) (2019)
- Authors:
- Knaub, Katharina, Sartorius, Tina, Dharsono, Tanita, Wacker, Roland, Wilhelm, Manfred, Schön, Christiane
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02111
Evidence Hierarchy
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or placebo groups to test cause and effect.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is CBD absorption a problem?
CBD is fat-soluble and undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver, resulting in low and highly variable absorption when taken orally in standard formulations.
Did men and women absorb CBD differently?
With standard MCT oil, women absorbed more CBD than men. The SEDDS formulation reduced this gender difference, producing more consistent results across sexes.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02111APA
Knaub, Katharina; Sartorius, Tina; Dharsono, Tanita; Wacker, Roland; Wilhelm, Manfred; Schön, Christiane. (2019). A Novel Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) Based on VESIsorb® Formulation Technology Improving the Oral Bioavailability of Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects.. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24162967
MLA
Knaub, Katharina, et al. "A Novel Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) Based on VESIsorb® Formulation Technology Improving the Oral Bioavailability of Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects.." Molecules (Basel, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24162967
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A Novel Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) Based ..." RTHC-02111. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/knaub-2019-a-novel-selfemulsifying-drug
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.