Although CBD is reported to have antimicrobial properties [1–3], research surrounding the potential use of CBD as an antimicrobial agent is still preliminary. A recently published study [4] by the University of South Florida showed that treating strawberries with CBD oil lengthens shelf life and reduces microbial load.
CBD oil was applied to fresh strawberries after harvest followed by storage at 1 °C for 8 days and 10 °C for to 8 days. Visual quality and microbial load were evaluated before and during storage. The results showed that strawberries treated with CBD oil had better overall quality in terms of maintaining the visual appearance of strawberries and reducing the microbial load compared to fruit that was not treated. These results may promote CBD as a new class of preservatives to be used by consumers at home as an effective antimicrobial treatment to maintain quality and extend shelf life of fresh produce.
References
Van Klingeren B, Ten Ham M (1976) Antibacterial activity of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 42:9–12
Appendino G, Gibbons S, Giana A, Pagani A, Grassi G, Stavri M, Smith E, Rahman MM (2008) Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study. J Nat Prod 71:1427–1430
Blaskovich MAT, Kavanagh AM, Elliott AG, et al (2021) The antimicrobial potential of cannabidiol. Communications Biology 4:1–18
Inselberg H, do Nascimento Nunes MC (2021) Using Cannabidiol as a potential postharvest treatment to maintain quality and extend the shelf life of strawberries. Postharvest Biology and Technology 173:111416
