Journal:A proposed method of sample preparation and homogenization of hemp for the molecular analysis of cannabinoids
| Full article title | A proposed method of sample preparation and homogenization of hemp for the molecular analysis of cannabinoids |
|---|---|
| Journal | SN Applied Sciences |
| Author(s) | Morehouse, Zachary P.; Ryan, Gabriella, L.; Proctor, Caleb M.; Okparanta, Akelachi; Todd, Will; Bunting, Derrick; White, Taylor; Parez, Steven; Miller, Blessida; Colon, Veronica; Easparro, Brandon; Atwood, James; Park, YoungChul; Nash, Rodney J. |
| Author affiliation(s) | Omni International, Jeevan Biosciences, Georgia State University, AMERICANNA Laboratories |
| Primary contact | Email: Online form |
| Year published | 2021 |
| Volume and issue | 3 |
| Article # | 762 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s42452-021-04747-6 |
| ISSN | 2523-3971 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs42452-021-04747-6 |
| Download | https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42452-021-04747-6.pdf (PDF) |
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This article should be considered a work in progress and incomplete. Consider this article incomplete until this notice is removed. |
Abstract
The use of Cannabis sativa, or hemp, in commercial, recreational, and pharmacological applications is on the rise in the United States and worldwide. Many of these applications have guidelines associated with them dependent on the concentration of cannabinoid molecules that keep the products classified as hemp versus marijuana, or that allow the producer to comment on the purity and potency of their product. Herein, we propose a method for homogenization of hemp that results in small particle sizes, uniform samples, and does not alter the cannabinoid concentrations during processing, allowing for optimal and reproducible potency testing. Using a novel “active grinding media,” we homogenized commercially available hemp to analyze approximately 100 mg samples of homogenate via sieve analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to assess the resulting size and potency of the sample when using this methodology. When processing hemp samples with our proposed methodology, we have demonstrated the ability to produce 60.2% of all particles < 1.25 mm, with increased cannabinoid recovery compared to homogenates with larger average particle sizes. Maintaining sample temperatures below 35 °C during processing, we showed that our method does not thermally induce decarboxylation reactions that would result in major cannabinoid profile changes. We have developed a method for hemp processing via homogenization that does not alter the cannabinoid profile during processing, while consistently producing small particle sizes in a uniformly processed sample. This method allows for optimal and reproducible hemp processing when evaluating hemp and hemp-based products being brought to commercial markets.
Keywords: hemp, hemp processing, hemp grinding, homogenization, sample preparation, cannabinoid detection, THC, CBD
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This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation. Some grammar and punctuation was cleaned up to improve readability. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added. Nothing else was changed in accordance with the NoDerivatives portion of the license.
