“Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii poses a serious clinical challenge due to its resistance to nearly all available antibiotics, including carbapenems and colistin. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive phytochemical from Cannabis sativa L., has recently shown promising antimicrobial activity.

This study evaluates the antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects of CBD against XDR A. baumannii isolates and explores its mechanism of action and potential as an adjunct therapeutic agent.

Twenty-six A. baumannii isolates collected from ICU medical devices were identified using MALDI-TOF/MS. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion and broth microdilution to determine MICs and MBCs for CBD and standard antibiotics. Synergistic effects were evaluated via checkerboard assays and FICI values. Biofilm inhibition and eradication were assessed using crystal violet and MTT assays. Time-kill studies, membrane integrity assays (DNA/protein leakage, NPN uptake, membrane depolarization), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate bactericidal kinetics and membrane-disruptive mechanisms.

CBD exhibited activity against antimicrobial resistance isolates (MIC: 3.9 to > 500 µg/mL). Remarkably, CBD synergized with gentamicin, meropenem, and colistin, reducing their effective concentrations by up to 1,000-fold. Combination therapy significantly inhibited and eradicated biofilms. Time-kill assays demonstrated rapid, concentration-dependent killing, with complete bacterial clearance at 4× MIC within 2 h. Mechanistic assays and SEM confirmed that CBD induces extensive membrane damage.

These findings highlight CBD’s potential as an effective adjunct to conventional antibiotics for treating XDR A. baumannii infections, offering a novel strategy to counteract antimicrobial resistance.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40817249/

“Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic, Gram-negative bacterium that has emerged as a major cause of hospital-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide, with no standard therapeutic recommendation for its management and control. It primarily affects critically ill and immunocompromised patients, leading to severe infections such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, and wound infections. A. baumannii’s remarkable ability to survive in hospital environments, resist desiccation, and persist on medical equipment—particularly in intensive care units (ICUs)—makes it a persistent challenge in healthcare settings.”

“Our study demonstrates that CBD exhibits potent antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties against XDR A. baumannii, particularly when used in combination with conventional antibiotics such as gentamicin, meropenem, and colistin. Notably, its ability to disrupt membrane integrity represents a key mechanism in overcoming drug tolerance.

These findings provide a strong foundation for further investigation of CBD as a novel therapeutic strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance in clinical settings.”

https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-025-05056-w

“Background: The accumulation of agri-food waste is a major environmental and economic challenge and converting these by-products into bioactive compounds fits within the circular bioeconomy. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of extracts derived from Cannabis sativa L. leaves (CSE), Crocus sativus tepals (CST), and Prunus avium L. cherry waste (VCE) against four key bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). 

Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays were performed to assess antibacterial activity, while a bioinformatic pipeline was implemented to explore possible molecular targets. Full-proteome multiple sequence alignments across the bacterial strains were used to identify conserved, strain-specific proteins, and molecular docking simulations were applied to predict binding interactions between the most abundant compounds in the extracts and their targets. 

Results: CSE and CST demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis (MIC = 15.6 mg/mL), while VCE showed selective activity against B. subtilis (MIC = 31.5 mg/mL). CodY was identified as a putative molecular target for CSE and CST, and ChaA for VCE. Docking results supported the possibility of spontaneous binding between abundant extract constituents and the predicted targets, with high binding affinities triggering a strong interaction network with target sensing residues. 

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the antimicrobial activity of these agri-food wastes and introduces a comprehensive in vitro and in silico workflow to support the bioactivity of these agri-food wastes and repurpose them for innovative, eco-sustainable applications in the biotechnology field and beyond.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40732292/

“Given the observed antimicrobial activity against foodborne and surface-associated pathogens, the findings suggest that these extracts may hold promise for use in natural food preservation or environmental hygiene applications.The approach and the evidence adopted here and provided in this study could be useful for future for more eco-friendly and cost-effective strategies to develop waste-derived bioproducts for different purposes.”

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/7/1003

“Innovative topical drug delivery systems, such as film forming systems, aim, among other objectives, to offer new application possibilities, enhance patient compliance, and provide prolonged therapeutic effects.

This study presents the development and comprehensive characterization of a novel chitosan-based film-forming system incorporating cannabidiol for antimicrobial topical treatment.

While chitosan and cannabidiol have been separately explored for their pharmaceutical properties, their combination within an in situ film-forming matrix remains largely unreported. Chitosan was chosen for its film-forming, mucoadhesive, and inherent antimicrobial properties. Ethanol-water ratios enabling optimal solubilization of chitosan were determined, and a suitable cannabidiol solubilizer was identified to ensure its homogeneous incorporation into the polymer matrix. The resulting films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, rheological analysis, Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

In vitro studies demonstrated sustained cannabidiol release, favorable mechanical properties, and excellent antimicrobial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi.

These results highlight the developed film-forming system as a novel and promising platform for the localized treatment of bacterial and fungal skin infections.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659166/

“Shrimp aquaculture plays a crucial role in global food production but is increasingly threatened by viral and microsporidian pathogens such as White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) and Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV). Conventional reliance on antibiotics to combat these infections has raised serious concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance, environmental contamination and food safety. Additionally, environmental stressors such as salinity shifts and poor water quality exacerbate disease outbreaks, leading to severe production losses across Asia and Latin America.

To explore eco-friendly therapeutic alternatives, this study assessed the antiviral potential of cannabidiol (CBD), a bioactive compound extracted from Cannabis sativa seed oil, identified through GC-MS analysis.

Using molecular docking techniques, we evaluated CBD’s interactions with key viral proteins: VP28 of WSSV, the tubulin β-chain of EHP and the capsid protein of IHHNV. The docking results revealed strong binding affinities of -6.61 kcal/mol (EHP), -6.72 kcal/mol (IHHNV) and -5.38 kcal/mol (WSSV), indicating stable and potentially inhibitory interactions. Structural models were retrieved from RCSB PDB and SwissModel, while ligand preparation and docking were performed using AutoDock 4.2.

CBD also demonstrated favourable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles, with predictions indicating no mutagenicity, hepatotoxicity or cardiotoxicity, and acceptable drug-likeness characteristics.

Compared to other plant-derived compounds previously tested in shrimp disease models, CBD exhibited superior binding stability, more interaction residues and better bioavailability scores.

These findings highlight CBD as a promising dual-function agent, capable of both modulating shrimp immunity and directly inhibiting key viral pathogens.

These findings highlight cannabidiol (CBD) as a promising dual-action compound, with the potential to both enhance shrimp immune responses and exert direct antiviral effects against key pathogens. This study lays a robust groundwork for future in vivo validations, formulation strategies and regulatory frameworks, ultimately supporting the development of sustainable, precision-based aquaculture health management.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40657679/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfd.70015

“There is an urgent need for alternative antimicrobial therapies in veterinary small animal dermatology due to the limited therapeutic options available for treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed oil for topical treatment of localized infections of the skin, such as otitis externa.

Antimicrobial activity was determined by broth microdilution using a strain collection of bacterial pathogens associated with skin infections, including Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (n=120), Staphylococcus aureus (n=48), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=26). Checkerboard dilution tests were used to assess the interaction of hemp seed oil with two antimicrobials used for management of otitis externa, gentamicin and enrofloxacin, while in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated by the cellular 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay on mouse fibroblast cell line L929. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in staphylococci (0.025-0.2% v/v) were markedly lower than in P. aeruginosa (>0.4% v/v). Within S. pseudintermedius, methicillin-resistant strains displayed lower susceptibility compared to susceptible strains.

Hemp seed oil showed synergy with gentamicin (Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index < 0.5), reducing the MIC of gentamicin-resistant S. pseudintermedius strains (≥16µg/ml) below the clinical susceptibility breakpoint (≤4µg/ml). No changes in cell viability were observed at concentrations below 2% v/v.

These findings suggest that hemp seed oil could be an effective and safe alternative or adjuvant to conventional antimicrobials for managing otitis externa and other skin focal infections caused by staphylococci, including methicillin-resistant strains.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40513980/

“The findings suggest that hemp seed oil could serve as an effective and safe alternative or adjunct to conventional antimicrobial treatments for localized skin infections, including otitis externa caused by staphylococci, even those resistant to methicillin;”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023325000966?via%3Dihub

“∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most abundant natural cannabinoids isolated from the different cultivars of the Cannabis plant. Other natural ∆9-THC analogs, especially those with different alkyl chain substitutions, display different and potent bioactivity. However, these rare cannabinoids are typically isolated at minuscule amounts and are difficult to synthesize. Targeted microbial biosynthesis can therefore be an attractive route to access such molecules.

Here, we report the development of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae host to biosynthesize two rare cannabinoids from simple sugars. The yeast host is engineered to accumulate excess geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP), to overexpress a fungal pathway to 2,4-dihydroxy-6-alkyl-benzoic acids, as well as the downstream UbiA-prenyltransferase and THCA synthase. Two rare cannabinoid acids, the C1-substituted ∆9-tetrahydrocannabiorcolic acid (∆9-THCCA, ∼16 mg/L) and the C7-substituted ∆9-tetrahydrocannabiphorolic acid (∆9-THCPA, ∼5 mg/L) were obtained from this host; the latter was thermally decarboxylated to give ∆9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (∆9-THCP).

Given the diversity of fungal biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that can produce resorcylic acids, this microbial platform offers potential to produce other rare and new-to-nature cannabinoids.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40359163/

https://academic.oup.com/jimb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jimb/kuaf013/8129704?login=false