EFFECTS OF Cannabis sativa L. STEAM DISTILLATION OVER PHYTOCANNABINOIDS DECARBOXILATION

MOLDES, CARLOS ALBERTO; BELLOZAS REINHARD, MONICA; FRIES, ALEXANDER; MAZZAFERRO, LAURA

San Juan

Encuentro; XLI Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2023

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Phytocannabinoids (PCs) decarboxylation from Cannabis sativa L. to obtain the bioactive compounds THC and CBD is performed by exposing plant material to high temperatures (100-180°C). Steam distillation to obtain essential oils (EOs) and hidrosols is a process in which plant material is exposed to water steam temperatures. In this work, we studied THCA and CBDA decarboxylation rates of steam distillated cannabis flowers. EOs from dried flowers of Cannabis sativa were obtained by steam distillation during 40 minutes. After distillation, plant material was recovered and dried at room temperature and light protected during 1 week. PCs from distilled and non-distilled plant material were obtained by alcohol extraction, posterior vacuum evaporation at 45 °C and redissolution in sesame oil. In addition, plant material distillated and redissolutions of cannabis extracts in sesame oils were submitted to decarboxylation at 120°C during 45 minutes in order to compare with decarboxylation by steam distillation. Quantification of PCs Δ9-THC, CBD, CBN, THCA and CBDA were made in alcohol extracts from distillated and non-distillated plant material and extracts redissolved in sesame oils by HPLC-MS. Plant material had a EOs yield of 0.87 % and original plant material contained a ratio of THCA/CBDA=419 in alcohol extracts. THCA/Δ9-THC ratio in this alcoholic extract was 13.44 but in steam distilled plant material THCA/Δ9-THC decrease to 0.07 (94% decarboxylation). Distillated and decarboxylated plant material decreased further to 0.01 (99% decarboxylation). In sesame oil, steam distillation produced 95-99% THCAdecarboxylation but in non-distillated plant material submitted to decarboxylation (120°C, 45 minutes) reached 36%. Results show that a steam distillation process is an effective means to achieve decarboxylation in which essential oils and hidrosols are obtained as added-valueproducts.