Antibiotic Properties of Phytocannabinoids in 2024

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Jammu CSIR lab finds cannabis compound that has antibiotic effects” published in “The Hindu” on 23^rd January.

Why in The News?

Antibiotic Properties of Phytocannabinoids, CSIR-IIIM Jammu researchers have found a compound, THCBD which has a potent antibiotic effect against Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. It is responsible for the second most number of deaths due to anti-microbial resistance.

Staphylococcus aureus: It is a gram-positive bacterium that causes a wide variety of clinical diseases. Examples- pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis etc.

1. aureus is found in the environment and is also found in normal human flora, located on the skin and mucous membranes (most often the nasal area) of most healthy individuals.

Its transmission is mostly from direct contact.

What is THCBD and How Can It be an Alternative Solution to Anti-Microbial Resistance?

THCBD stands for tetrahydrocannabidiol (THCBD). It is a semisynthetic phytocannabinoid. Phytocannabinoid are cannabinoids that occur naturally in the cannabis plant.

The researchers tested THCBD against bacterial cultures in the lab.

It demonstrated strong effectiveness against efflux overexpression and MRSA strain.

It has also reduced the number of viable microbial cells of S. aureus skin infections in mice.

Thus, it can be a promising candidate to overcome anti-microbial resistance.

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Challenges in The Use of THCBD

There is challenge of solubility of drugs. The drug needs to be dissolved in an aqueous medium. A drug molecule should be neither too hydrophilic nor too lipophilic but in between. However, THCBD tilts toward lipophilicity so this needs to be changed.

THCBD comes from cannabis and Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 restricts the use of cannabis even for research purposes.

Some important terms: –

Hydrophilic molecule: -molecules which are water loving.

Lipophilic molecule: -molecule which are fat loving.

Indias’s AMR burden: -India reported 2.97 lakh death in 2019 due to AMR (anti-microbial resistance)

UPSC SYLLABUS: -Science and technology.