Antibiotic drugs may have helped to save the lives of millions, but in time, bacteria have turned resistant to these drugs. Not many antibiotics are available for infection caused by resistant bacteria, so we might turn to a treatment option prevalent in a period before these drugs existed.
CBD: A ‘Helper Compound’
Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid derived from cannabis sativa. It is thought to be a helper compound, or a compound that can make antibiotics more effective. This is another possible entry in the CBD benefits chart.
The journal named ‘Scientific Reports’ has featured The University of Southern Denmark researchers’ study proving that cannabidiol has that capability. When they used cannabidiol in combination with antibiotics, the researchers found a more potent effect as compared to treating with just the drugs. Therefore, to destroy some bacteria, they required only fewer antibiotic drugs.
Bacterial Clones Spread Around The World
The study used cannabidiol to make bacitracin more effective against the bacterium namely Staphylococcus aureus. It is among the main human pathogens responsible for a nosocomial disease and an infection acquired in the community.
Clones of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to multiple antibiotics have spread around the globe. In a few nations, the resistant bacteria make it difficult to treat bacterial infections.
As per those university researchers, a new treatment for infections due to antibiotic drug-resistant bacteria might just be a blend of cannabidiol and antibiotics.
In that study, treating staphylococcus aureus using the drugs and CBD brought the following results.
- Staphylococcus aureus became incapable of dividing in a normal way;
- It reduced expression of some key genes in staphylococcus aureus; and,
- It made staphylococcus aureus membrane unstable.
It Is Important To Stop Antibiotic Resistance
As per the university researchers, the biggest reason for antibiotic resistance is the overconsumption of these drugs. Using an antibiotic drug and helper compound in combination improves the former’s effect, thereby reducing the required quantity of it. As per the study author Janne Kudsk Klitgaard’s opinion, doing the aforementioned might just play a big role in fewer resistant bacteria being developed.
In another study, researchers have discovered that a different hemp cannabinoid named cannabigerol rid mice of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections as efficaciously as vancomycin. At the time of writing this, this particular study is being reviewed to ensure that it is publishable in the journal named ACS Infectious Diseases.