A new study from researchers at the University of South Florida has found that CBD oil can be used to increase the shelf life of strawberries.
CBD has been used for its anti-microbial properties for several thousand years, with new research published in the journal Postharvest Biology and Technology confirming CBD”s antimicrobial effects are effective in plants as well as humans.
The study had researchers apply various CBD oils to the surface of freshly harvested strawberries from Florida’s Fancy Farms. Several groups of strawberries were then kept at 1°C and 10°C for eight days.
Researchers assessed the strawberries with a visual rating score, noticing that strawberries that were treated with CBD oils scored higher than the fruit that was not treated. They also observed that the CBD inhibited the growth of yeast and mould on the fruit.
In the study, researchers note that this is likely because CBD oil has antimicrobial properties, meaning CBD is killing bacteria on the surface of the strawberries. If CBD were applied to strawberries either by a retailer or a consumer, it would likely extend the shelf life of the fruit dramatically.
This furthers research conducted on humans in 2019, which showed that cannabis has antimicrobial properties that make it effective at killing Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Other research has also found that CBD can kill fungi like Candida albicans, which is harmful in humans and Aspergillus niger, which rots fruits and vegetables.
While the use of CBD for its antimicrobial properties is still new, understanding how CBD can be applied is essential. In the introduction of the study, researchers Haley Inselberg and Maria Cecilia do Nascimento Nunes agree, writing:
The use of CBD shows promising potential, and due to the rise in antibiotic resistance, it is important to access its use as a potential alternative to current antimicrobials.
Now we can end shelf-life extender to the growing list of applications CBD can be used for.
