A study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces found that CBD can be an effective edible antimicrobial coating for fruit and other fresh produce that prolongs their shelf life. In a new study, researchers mixed the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) with sodium alginate to preserve strawberries, and the study’s findings could have significant implications for the future of food preservation.
CBD is mainly known for its potential therapeutic physical and mental effects but also has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CBD can minimize the growth of some bacteria and pathogenic fungi that cause fresh fruits and vegetables to rot.
To act as an effective preservation agent, CBD needs to be evenly distributed in water before it can be integrated into foods or used on them for food preservation. The researchers encapsulated CBD molecules into edible polymers to see if a food coating made with CBD-filled nanoparticles could maintain the freshness of strawberries.
The researchers encapsulated CBD into a biodegradable polymer that is commonly used in drug delivery (poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)) to produce 400-nm-wide particles. They combined the most stable nanoparticles with sodium alginate in water, submerged the strawberries into solutions containing different amounts of nanoparticles, and then dipped them into a mixture of ascorbic acid and calcium chloride to transform the coating into a gel.
The researchers then placed the samples of untreated and treated strawberries in open plastic containers at refrigerator temperatures. Fifteen days later, the untreated strawberries had ripened and decayed much more quickly than the CBD-treated ones. The team noted critical differences between the CBD-coated berries and the control sample, such as weight loss, total acidity, pH, microbial activity, and antioxidant activity. The CBD coating retained the berries’ dark red appearance and exhibited the most significant antimicrobial protection over the storage period. These outcomes suggest that the CBD coating contributes to the longest shelf life.
The researchers’ results demonstrate how eCBDi nanoparticles can create a colorless antimicrobial food coating.
Sources: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces