Commercial Hemp Seed Oils: A Multimethodological Characterization

Mattia Spano,Antonella Di Sotto,Silvia Di Giacomo,Giacomo Di Matteo,Anna Maria Giusti,Cinzia Ingallina,Giuliana Vinci,Mattia Rapa,Salvatore Ciano,Luigi Menghini,Simone Carradori,Stefania Cesa,Luisa Mannina,Anatoly P Sobolev

doi:10.3390/app10196933

Mattia Spano, Antonella Di Sotto + Show 12 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app10196933

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Abstract

Nine commercial hemp seed oils from different countries were studied using a multimethodological approach to obtain information about their quality and chemical composition. Due to the lack of a specific regulation for hemp seed oils, quality parameters used in the case of olive oils (free acidity, peroxides number, spectrophotometer parameters) and anisidine number were measured and compared with those reported for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Free acidity and peroxides number showed a great variability, ranging from 0.4 to 17.24% and from 4.32 to 22.14 meqO2/kg, respectively, whereas the anisidine number ranged from 0.11 to 3.58. K232 value turned out to be generally below the limit reported for EVOO, whereas K270 and ΔK values were higher, with respect to EVOO limits, due to the high amount of tri-unsaturated fatty chains. Colorimetric analysis showed a peculiar curve trend that could represent the fingerprint of this product. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance methodology allowed to measure the amount of fatty chains, ω-6:ω-3 ratio, β-sitosterol, and aldehydes. The ω-6:ω-3 ratio turned out to be, in some cases, different from that reported on the bottle labels. Finally, lipoperoxidation assays were also carried out under different storage (light and temperature) and time exposure conditions, confirming that the exposure to direct light is the condition that interferes more with the product quality.

Highlights

Cannabis sativa L. is an annual plant belonging to the family of Cannabinaceae, widely spread in all five continents
Due to the lack of a specific regulation on hemp seed oils, quality parameters established for olive oils [33], namely free acidity, peroxides number, anisidine number, and spectrophotometric parameters (K232, K270, and ∆K) (ISO 6885:2016), were evaluated
Nine commercial hemp seed oils were analyzed, by both targeted and untargeted analyses, to determine their chemical composition and, to obtain information regarding the quality of the products present in the markets

Summary

Introduction

Cannabis sativa L. is an annual plant belonging to the family of Cannabinaceae, widely spread in all five continents. L. cultivars characterized by low amounts of ∆9 -THC (known as industrial hemp) raised a growing interest toward this plant in different fields, including pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic sectors. Among the different parts of the plant, hemp seeds are the only one to be authorized for food applications [3], as cannabinoids are present mainly due to cross-contamination during harvesting and processing [4]. In recent times the discovery of hemp seeds’ high nutritional value led to a revaluation of this source for human consumption. Literature regarding the investigation of hemp seeds’ composition has increased, making them an emerging source for value-added functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals [5,6]

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