Antibacterial activity of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) female inflorescence and root extract against Paenibacillus larvae, causal agent of American foulbrood

Paenibacillus larvae is a gram-positive bacterium, and the etiologic agent of American Foul -brood (AFB), a disease that affects honey bee larvae. In the search for natural products capable of controlling the disease, we tested the antibacterial activity of inflorescences and roots ex-tracts of Cannabis (Cannabis sativa l) against P. larvae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus au-reus using the microdilution broth method. We chemically characterized the extracts by the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, and volatile compounds, and analyzed the an-tioxidant capacity. Finally, their possible toxic effect on bee larvae was evaluated. Our re-search showed differences in the chemical composition between flower and root extracts as well as in their antioxidant potential; high potency and efficacy against (AFB) in vitro, but low toxicity to honey bee larvae.