Characterization of Cannabis sativa grown under controlled conditions: Variability in terpenes and terpenoids content by gas chromatography

SOL GIOVANNONI; CARLINA LANCIONIA; CRISTIAN VACCARINI; DANIELA SEDAN; ANDRINOLO DARIO; CECILIA CASTELLS

JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY - A

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2022

0021-9673

The absolute content of terpenes in inflorescences of two strains of Cannabis sativa L., CAT1 and CAT3, has been determined. Twenty terpenes commonly present in these samples were quantified by headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection (HS-SMPE/GC-FID). Higher amounts of β-myrcene, α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, (E)-β-ocimene, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, (E)-nerolidol, and linalool, and lower concentrations (< 20 µg·g-1) of the others was determined. Only (E)-β-ocimene was detected at 50 µg·g-1 in CAT 3 whereas it was below the LOD in CAT 1. Concentrations of other compounds for which standards were not available, were estimated based on a response factor obtained from the calibration curves of compounds with similar chemical structures. Using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS), fingerprints of both CAT strains were obtained and the identities of most volatiles could be assigned. Additionally, an assessment of terpenes variability was achieved by analyzing ten plants of each strain grown under controlled conditions and harvested at the same time. This variability was about 20 %, considering the relative standard deviations of terpenes concentration at values above 20 µg·g -1.