Abstract
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA, or THC in the decarboxylated form), synthesized by cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.), is a cannabinoid that can be used as a therapeutic drug but is a dangerous psychoactive compound. Cannabis grown for industrial fiber hemp must contain little THCA to prevent misuse. Many attempts to develop new cultivars with low THCA contents have therefore been made. It is time-consuming and expensive to determine THCA in cannabis plant tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography, so we attempted to develop a simple and quick method for selected cultivars with low THCA contents. The diagnostic device, which is an immunoassay based on the principle of competitive binding of drug metabolites, was initially developed for human drug testing in urine. We aim to determine whether the diagnostic device can be applied to natural cannabinoids from cannabis plant. The devices were not suitable for aqueous extracts with methanol contents >20 %. The test (T) line on each device was less intense for leaf and flower extracts than the negative control (water). The THCA contents of water extracted leaves determined by HPLC and calculated based on the cannabidiolic acid contents were 7.5 and 15 μg mL−1 for SuperwomanS1 and Spectrum303 cultivars, respectively. When THCA and THC standards were loaded onto Abon devices, the T line disappeared at the THCA concentration 20 μg mL−1 and the THC concentration 1 μg mL−1, respectively. Using extracts of 0.2 g fresh leaves, SuperwomanS1 and Spectrum303 will give faint and strong T lines, respectively, indicating that the devices could be used to test cannabis tissue THCA contents against the international regulatory limit (≤ 0.3 % w/w). The results indicated that the THCA contents of cannabis tissues at the flowering stage can readily be estimated using drug diagnostic devices, making it convenient for cannabis growers and breeders to semi-quantify THCA.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
