The cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) may be useful in fighting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a new peer-reviewed study.
The study, conducted by researchers at Wuyi University in China and the University of Rhode Island in the US, is being published in the December issue of the journal Bioorganic Chemistry. It’s been epublished online ahead of print.
“Drug-resistant bacterium infections are a severe threat to public health and novel antimicrobial agents combating drug-resistant bacteria are an unmet medical need”, states the study. “Although cannabidiol (CBD) has been reported to show antibacterial effects, whether its antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be improved remains unclear.”
With that in mind, researchers used a series of novel CBD derivatives they designed and synthesized using various chemical approaches.
“Derivative 21f showed augmented antibacterial activity against MRSA with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 μM without cytotoxic effect in microglia BV2 cells”, the study notes. ” Further mechanistic studies suggested that 21f inhibited the formation of biofilms, induced excess reactive oxygen species, and reduced bacterial metabolism, which collectively led to the acceleration of bacterial death.”
Researchers conclude:
Findings from this study expand the understanding of CBD derivatives as promising antibacterial agents, which provides useful information for the development of cannabinoid-based antibacterial agents.
A study published earlier this year in the journal Communications Biology reported for the first time that “cannabidiol can selectively kill a subset of Gram-negative bacteria that includes the ‘urgent threat’ pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae.”
