Hexahydrocannabinols (HHCs), referred to (9R)-HHC and (9S)-HHC diastereoisomers, are low-studied cannabinoids naturally found in small concentrations in the pollen and the seeds of the hemp plants. Despite the lack of in-depth studies about HHCs activity, potency, toxicity, and safety, these cannabinoids are emerging on the light-cannabis (hemp) market probably because legislations still do not clearly regulate them. Here, we describe for the first time the finding of HHCs (42% of (9R)-HHC and 24% of (9S)-HHC) in two samples of hemp-derived resin. The achievement of reference standards by semi-synthetic or isolation approach allows us to develop and validate a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the identification and quantification of HHCs in hemp-derived products. A thorough investigation could be carried out to reveal the possible addition of "new" compounds that might be a matter of safety.

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Lipidomics is a lipid-targeted metabolomics approach that aims to the comprehensive analysis of lipids in biological systems in order to highlight the specific functions of lipid species in health and disease. Lipids play pivotal roles as they are major structural components of the cellular membranes and energy storage molecules but also, as most recently shown, they act as functional and regulatory components of intra- and intercellular signaling. Herein, emphasis is given to the recently highlighted roles of specific bioactive lipids species, as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-derived mediators (generally known as eicosanoids), endocannabinoids (eCBs), and lysophospholipids (LPLs), and their involvement in the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-related inflammatory scenario. Indeed, MSCs are a heterogenous population of multipotent cells that have attracted much attention for their potential in regulating inflammation, immunomodulatory capabilities, and reparative roles. The lipidomics of the inflammatory disease osteoarthritis (OA) and the influence of MSCs-derived lipids have also been addressed.

The identification of the mammalian species based on faecal sediments in modern and ancient environments is the aim of the research of archaeologists, forensic scientists and ecologists. Here, we set up and validated an optimized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method, characterized by a time-saving sample preparation protocol, for the simultaneous analysis of faecal biomarkers (6 sterols/stanols and 5 bile acids) in 14 soil samples from the archaeological site of “Le Colombare di Negrar” in northern Italy. Although the archaeological sediment samples examined are numerically exiguous, a comparative reading of our faecal biomarkers findings with new studies on faunal materials collected in the same stratigraphic detail during recent excavation campaigns will allow to better clarify the economic interest of the animal species farmed in the Colombare site (such as bovines, goats, sheep and pigs) and to shed light on the management of breeding. Together with archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analyses, the investigation of faecal biomarkers can increase our knowledge of how ancient local communities exploited natural resources and may allow us to deduce what their impact on the landscape was.

Over the years, several studies have shown that many factors are likely to affect the results of forensic hair analyses and complicate their interpretation. Among these factors, one of the major drawbacks in hair analysis is the affectability of deposited xenobiotics by cosmetic treatments which could be eventually used to adulterate the sample. It is well known that some cosmetic treatments containing hydrogen peroxide, such as permanent dyeing or bleaching, lead to the formation of 1-H-pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA), a melanin degradation product. Considering that PTCA is also an endogenous compound, spontaneously formed by natural oxidation of melanin, its only detection in hair is not enough to confirm a cosmetic oxidative treatment. For this reason, the aim of the present work was to develop and validate a reliable liquid-liquid extraction method in ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of endogenous PTCA in hair from a wide multi-ethnic population (African, Arab, Asian-Pacific, Caucasian, Hispanic, Indian). According to previous studies, untreated hair samples showed a PTCA content of 8.54 ± 5.72 ng/mg (mean ± SD), ranging between 0.44 and 23.7 ng/mg; after in vitro cosmetic bleaching, PTCA increased to 16.8 ± 6.95 ng/mg (range 4.16–32.3 ng/mg). Comparing baseline PTCA levels of each subgroup with the others, we could not observe any statistically significant difference, except for Caucasians (p < 0.05), wherein the concentrations were lower. Further studies and a wider sampling are necessary to elucidate the role of PTCA as diagnostic marker of cosmetic hair treatment in forensic field.