Vaping-Induced Transformation of Terpene Additives in Cannabis Vape Products and its Impacts on the Cell Membrane Integrity

SIRI LANGMO, Alexa Canchola, Ruth Meletz, Ying-Hsuan Lin, University of California, Riverside

     Abstract Number: 298
     Working Group: Health-Related Aerosols

Abstract
Terpenes are a class of compounds commonly used as flavoring agents and diluents in commercial e-liquids and have been found in recent research to undergo chemical transformation during vaping, resulting in the formation of potentially harmful compounds. However, despite their widespread use, little research has focused on terpene transformation during vaping or their impact on the cell membranes of human epithelial cells. To address this, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil were vaped with and without select terpenes added (93:7 ratio). Resulting aerosols were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to the vaping emissions and the cell membrane integrity was assessed using the Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Results found that all selected terpenes transformed into highly oxidized products during the vaping (e.g., limonene oxide and α-pinene oxide). In addition, it was found that degradation of the carrier oil, MCT, was enhanced when terpenes were present, forming fatty, acid-like products. When exposed to lung epithelial cells, emissions generated in the presence of terpenes resulted in increased LDH levels compared to MCT oil alone, indicating decreased membrane integrity when exposed to MCT+terpene vaping emissions. Our results indicate that terpene oxidation may result in the formation of products with biosurfactant-like characteristics that may damage cellular membranes. The results of this study show the oxidation products of terpenes, formed during vaping, increase membrane permeability and are a stepping stone to understanding the cytotoxic effects of terpenes in vaping products.