Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. Family Cannabaceae) contains a vast number of bioactive relevant compounds, namely polyphenols including flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenol amides, and lignanamides, well known for their therapeutic properties. Nowadays, many polyphenols-containing products made of herbal extracts are marketed, claiming to exert health-promoting effects. In this context, industrial hemp inflorescence may represent an innovative source of bioactive compounds to be used in nutraceutical formulations. The aim of this work was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the polyphenolic fraction contained in polar extracts of four different commercial cultivars (Kompoti, Tiborszallasi, Antal, and Carmagnola Cs) of hemp inflorescences through spectrophotometric (TPC, DPPH tests) and spectrometry measurement (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). Results highlighted a high content of cannflavin A and B in inflorescence analyzed samples, which appear to be cannabis-specific, with a mean value of 61.8 and 84.5 mg/kg, meaning a ten-to-hundred times increase compared to other parts of the plant. Among flavonols, quercetin-3-glucoside reached up to 285.9 mg/kg in the Carmagnola CS cultivar. Catechin and epicatechin were the most representative flavanols, with a mean concentration of 53.3 and 66.2 mg/kg, respectively, for all cultivars. Total polyphenolic content in inflorescence samples was quantified in the range of 10.51 to 52.58 mg GAE/g and free radical-scavenging included in the range from 27.5 to 77.6 mmol trolox/kg. Therefore, C. sativa inflorescence could be considered as a potential novel source of polyphenols intended for nutraceutical formulations.

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The fusariotoxins Enniatin B (Enn B) and Beauvericin (Bea) have recently aroused interest as food contaminants and as potential anticancer drugs. However, limited data are available about their toxic profile. Aim of this study was to investigate their pharmacological behavior in vivo and their persistence in mice. Therefore, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the distribution of Enn B and Bea in selected tissue samples and biological fluids originating from mice treated intraperitoneally with these cyclohexadepsipeptides. Overall, no toxicological signs during life time or pathological changes were observed. Moreover, both fusariotoxins were found in all tissues and serum but not in urine. Highest amounts were measured in liver and fat demonstrating the moleculeś tendency to bioaccumulate in lipophilic tissues. While for Bea no metabolites could be detected, for Enn B three phase I metabolites (dioxygenated-Enn B, mono- and di-demethylated-Enn B) were found in liver and colon, with dioxygenated-Enn B being most prominent. Consequently, contribution of hepatic as well as intestinal metabolism seems to be involved in the overall metabolism of Enn B. Thus, despite their structural similarity, the metabolism of Enn B and Bea shows distinct discrepancies which might affect long-term effects and tolerability in humans.