Residues of herbal hemp leaf teas – How much of the cannabinoids remain?

Investigation on solvent-free esterification of oleic acid by hemp tea waste-immobilized Candida rugosa lipase

This study aimed at Candida rugosa lipase immobilization on a low-cost and readily available support. Among agro-industrial crops, hemp tea waste was chosen as the carrier because it provides higher immobilization performance than hemp flower and leaf wastes. Support characterization by ATR-FTIR, SEM and elemental analysis and the optimization of the adsorption immobilization process were performed. The lipase adsorption immobilization was obtained by soaking the support with hexane under mild agitation for 2 h and a successively incubating the enzyme for 1 h at room temperature without removing the solvent. The esterification of oleic acid with n-decanol was tested in a solvent-free system by studying some parameters that influence the reaction, such as the substrates molar ratio, the lipase activity/oleic acid ratio, reaction temperature and the presence/absence of molecular sieves. The biocatalyst showed the ability to bring the esterification reaction to equilibrium under 60 min and good reusability (maintaining 60 % of its original activity after three successive esterification reactions) but low conversion (21 %) at the optimized conditions (40 °C, 1:2 substrates molar ratio, 0.56 lipase/oleic acid ratio, without sieves). Comparing the results with those obtained by free lipase form at the same activity (1 U) and experimental conditions, slightly higher conversion (%) appeared for the free lipase. All this highlighted that probably the source of lipase for its carbohydrate-binding pocket and lid structure affected the esterification of oleic acid but certainly, the immobilization didn't induce any lipase conformational change also allowing the reuse of the catalytic material.

Antioxidative Response and Phenolic Content of Young Industrial Hemp Leaves at Different Light and Mycorrhiza

Due to the increasing presence of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and its multiple possibilities of use, the influence of different light and several biopreparations based on beneficial fungi and bacteria on hemp's morphological and physiological properties were examined. Different biopreparations and their combinations were inoculated on hemp seed and/or substrate and grown under blue and white light. A completely randomized block design was conducted in four replications within 30 days. For biopreparation treatment, vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) in combination with Azotobacter chroococum and Trichoderma spp. were inoculated only on seed or both on seed and in the substrate. Generally, the highest morphological parameters (stem, root and plant length) were recorded on plants in white light and on treatment with applied Trichoderma spp., both on seed and substrate. Blue light negatively affected biopreparation treatments, resulting in lower values of all morphological parameters compared to control. Leaves pigments were higher under blue light, as compared to the white light. At the same time, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), flavonoids, total flavanol content and phenolic acids were not influenced by light type. Biopreparation treatments did not significantly influence the leaves' pigments content (Chl a, Chl b and Car), nor the phenolic and flavanol content.

The Development, Validation, and Application of a UHPLC-HESI-MS Method for the Determination of 17 Cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L. var. sativa Plant Material

Cannabinoids are an important group of secondary metabolites found in the plant Cannabis sativa L. The growing interest in the use of hemp in food production (e.g., hemp teas, hemp cookies) makes it necessary to develop a method for determining these compounds in the plant, both fresh and dried. The selection of a suitable extraction liquid for the extraction of cannabinoids and the development of a method for the determination of 17 cannabinoids is a prelude to the development of an effective method for the extraction of these compounds. In the present study, a novel, simple, and efficient method was developed and validated for the determination of up to 17 cannabinoids in fresh plant parts (inflorescences and leaves) of Cannabis sativa L. and in dried material, including hemp teas. Analyses were performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry setup operating with a heated electrospray interface (UHPLC-HESI-MS). Based on the comparison, methanol was selected as the best for the extraction of cannabinoids from fresh and dried material. The efficiency and validity of the method were assessed using certified reference material (dried Cannabis) and confirmed by z-score from participation in an international proficiency test conducted by ASTM International for dried hemp.

Differentiating Cannabis Products: Drugs, Food, and Supplements

“Hemp” refers to non-intoxicating, low delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) cultivars of Cannabis sativa L. “Marijuana” refers to cultivars with high levels of Δ9-THC, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid found in the plant and a federally controlled substance used for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. Although marijuana and hemp belong to the same genus and species, they differ in terms of chemical and genetic composition, production practices, product uses, and regulatory status. Hemp seed and hemp seed oil have been shown to have valuable nutritional capacity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid with a wide therapeutic index and acceptable side effect profile, has demonstrated high medicinal potential in some conditions. Several countries and states have facilitated the use of THC-dominant medical cannabis for certain conditions, while other countries continue to ban all forms of cannabis regardless of cannabinoid profile or low psychoactive potential. Today, differentiating between hemp and marijuana in the laboratory is no longer a difficult process. Certain thin layer chromatography (TLC) methods can rapidly screen for cannabinoids, and several gas and liquid chromatography techniques have been developed for precise quantification of phytocannabinoids in plant extracts and biological samples. Geographic regulations and testing guidelines for cannabis continue to evolve. As they are improved and clarified, we can better employ the appropriate applications of this uniquely versatile plant from an informed scientific perspective.

Time Trends of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a 2008–2021 German National Survey of Hemp Food Products

∆⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known as the main psychotropic compound present in the hemp plant. It also occurs in commercially available hemp food products and may have adverse effects on consumers. This article provides an overview of the current situation of the THC content in hemp food products in Germany in recent years. The content of THC was evaluated in a data set of 5 different hemp food product groups (tea, seeds, seed oils, food supplements, and nonalcoholic beverages) comprising 511 samples. For the toxicological assessment, the THC intake was estimated and the exhaustion of acute reference dose (ARfD) and lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) was calculated using average daily consumption scenarios. Data show that hemp beverages and seeds typically do not contain amounts of THC that can exceed toxicological thresholds. On the contrary, hemp food supplements, such as cannabidiol (CBD) products, can contain high levels of THC, since the THC content of 18% of the samples has the potential to exceed the LOAEL and 8% even exceed the minimum intoxication dose. However, a significant linear decrease in the THC content of hemp food supplements was observed between 2018 and 2021 (n = 111, R = −0.36, p < 0.0001). A problematic food group is also tea based on flowers, leading to an increase in overall THC levels in recent years. Regulation of low-THC products within the framework of controlled distribution of cannabis for recreational use appears to be advisable.

Analytical Techniques for Phytocannabinoid Profiling of Cannabis and Cannabis-Based Products-A Comprehensive Review

Cannabis is gaining increasing attention due to the high pharmacological potential and updated legislation authorizing multiple uses. The development of time- and cost-efficient analytical methods is of crucial importance for phytocannabinoid profiling. This review aims to capture the versatility of analytical methods for phytocannabinoid profiling of cannabis and cannabis-based products in the past four decades (1980–2021). The thorough overview of more than 220 scientific papers reporting different analytical techniques for phytocannabinoid profiling points out their respective advantages and drawbacks in terms of their complexity, duration, selectivity, sensitivity and robustness for their specific application, along with the most widely used sample preparation strategies. In particular, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods, are presented and discussed. Acquired knowledge of phytocannabinoid profile became extremely relevant and further enhanced chemotaxonomic classification, cultivation set-ups examination, association of medical and adverse health effects with potency and/or interplay of certain phytocannabinoids and other active constituents, quality control (QC), and stability studies, as well as development and harmonization of global quality standards. Further improvement in phytocannabinoid profiling should be focused on untargeted analysis using orthogonal analytical methods, which, joined with cheminformatics approaches for compound identification and MSLs, would lead to the identification of a multitude of new phytocannabinoids.

Cannabinoids-Characteristics and Potential for Use in Food Production

Scientific demonstrations of the beneficial effects of non-psychoactive cannabinoids on the human body have increased the interest in foods containing hemp components. This review systematizes the latest discoveries relating to the characteristics of cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. var. sativa, it also presents a characterization of the mentioned plant. In this review, we present data on the opportunities and limitations of cannabinoids in food production. This article systematizes the data on the legal aspects, mainly the limits of Δ9-THC in food, the most popular analytical techniques (LC-MS and GC-MS) applied to assay cannabinoids in finished products, and the available data on the stability of cannabinoids during heating, storage, and access to light and oxygen. This may constitute a major challenge to their common use in food processing, as well as the potential formation of undesirable degradation products. Hemp-containing foods have great potential to become commercially popular among functional foods, provided that our understanding of cannabinoid stability in different food matrices and cannabinoid interactions with particular food ingredients are expanded. There remains a need for more data on the effects of technological processes and storage on cannabinoid degradation.