Leaner and greener analysis of cannabinoids

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Green Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Increasing demand for cannabinoid analysis in cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.).
• Existing methods are inefficient, require expertise, and use hazardous solvents.
• Need for a more efficient, accurate, and environmentally friendly analytical approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and validate an efficient, accurate HPLC-DAD method for analyzing eight key cannabinoids.
• Incorporate green chemistry principles to minimize toxic solvent usage.
• Provide a suitable method for diverse applications, including regulatory and clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of an High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) method.
• Statistically guided optimization based on green chemistry principles.
• Single-laboratory validation including linearity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, LOD, and LOQ.

Main Results:

• Quantification of eight cannabinoids in cannabis flowers and oils.
• Cannabinoid content in flowers ranged from 0.02 to 14.9% w/w.
• Method demonstrated good accuracy, precision (RSD 0.78–10.08%), and low LOQs (0.02–0.17% w/w).

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC-DAD method is accurate, efficient, and uses fewer toxic solvents.
• The method is suitable for analyzing cannabinoids in various cannabis products.
• This advancement supports regulatory compliance, clinical research, and commercial applications.