A new study reports that cannabis-derived extracts may offer an effective, low-toxicity option for controlling Triatoma infestans, the primary insect responsible for spreading Chagas disease.
Researchers evaluated extracts taken from the inflorescences of a Deep Mandarine cannabis variety and found notable lethal and repellent activity against fifth-instar nymphs of the insect, even outperforming widely used chemical controls in some tests.
The team prepared both acetone and ethanol extracts using sonication before analyzing their chemical profiles with gas and high-performance liquid chromatography. The extracts were dominated by β-caryophyllene and β-pinene, each above 100 ppm, while cannabidiol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol were the most abundant cannabinoids. When applied to T. infestans, the acetone extract was particularly potent, showing five times the lethal strength of the ethanolic extract and reaching maximum activity within 48 hours of contact.
Repellent effects were also pronounced. At 25 µg/cm2, the acetone extract achieved a full 100% repellent response within 60 minutes, surpassing the performance of DEET, which required twice the concentration to achieve the same level of protection. Synergistic interactions were observed when the cannabis extracts were combined with certain major terpenes, most notably β-caryophyllene, which produced strong cooperative effects. Other combinations, such as those involving E-ocimene, showed antagonism instead.
Importantly, neither cannabis extract demonstrated toxicity toward adult honey bees, a key pollinator species, at the tested doses. This contrasts sharply with imidacloprid, which produced harmful effects in the positive control group. Researchers say these findings indicate that cannabis-based extracts may represent a promising tool for integrated pest management targeting disease-carrying insects without jeopardizing beneficial species.
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