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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Lexington, Kentucky » Forage-animal Production Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424092
Research Project: Increasing Sustainability of Forage Production in Mid-South Agroecosystems

Location: Forage-animal Production Research

Title: In vitro antimicrobial efficacy of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) crude oil extract on Fusobacterium necrophorum of bovine origin

Author
item Lakes, Jourdan
item ALTMAN, ALEXANDER - University Of Kentucky
item Berhow, Mark
item Kagan, Isabelle
item NAGARAJA, TIRUVOOR - Kansas State University
item HARMON, DAVID - University Of Kentucky
item Flythe, Michael

Submitted to: Anaerobe
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2025
Publication Date: 4/17/2025
Citation: Lakes, J.E., Altman, A.W., Berhow, M.A., Kagan, I., Nagaraja, T.G., Harmon, D.L., Flythe, M.D. 2025. In vitro antimicrobial efficacy of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) crude oil extract on Fusobacterium necrophorum of bovine origin. Anaerobe. 93(2025): Article 102960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2025.102960.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2025.102960

Interpretive Summary: In the United States, about 95% of beef cattle are fed a high grain (e.g., corn) diet prior to slaughter. This process of feeding cattle high quantities of grain causes the first compartment of their stomach, the rumen, to become acidic, which causes the tissue of this compartment to become easily infiltrated by the microorganisms living there. Importantly, one of these common infiltrators is Fusobacterium necrophorum, which enters the bloodstream, settling in the liver, and forms lesions throughout the tissue. This is currently mitigated by supplementing the feed with the antibiotic, Tylosin, which could be an unnecessary use of antibiotics. This bacterium infects both animals and humans, which stresses the importance of minimizing antibiotic resistance . One such way to avoid the development of resistance is via the use of novel antimicrobial natural products. In the present study, we explored the potential of hemp crude oil, and some of its constituent compounds, as a source of novel antimicrobials. Compounds in the oil were separated using the physical property of polarity through a thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method. These separated compounds were then exposed to solid cultures of F. necrophorum and incubated for ~ 24h until full growth was reached, after which the inhibitory zones, corresponding to specific polar groups of compounds, were visualized using a dye. These inhibitory zones were matched, through the use of other TLCs, to two compounds found within the hemp crude oil: D-limonene and a-pinene. In conclusion, hemp could serve as a source of novel antimicrobials for the control of F. necrophorum.

Technical Abstract: Fusobacterium necrophorum has undesirable effects on animal welfare and meat quality in grain-finished beef, which is mitigated using antibiotics in feed. However, the advent of resistance requires exploration of alternatives. Here we report the efficacy of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) crude oil extract and its constituent parts on Fusobacterium species.