Effect of the Distillation Time on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Different Cannabis sativa L. Cultivars

Abstract

Within the unavoidable variability of various origins in the characteristics of essential oils, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the distillation time on the chemical composition and biological activity of Cannabis sativa essential oils (EOs). The dry inflorescences came from Carmagnola, Kompolti, Futura 75, Gran Sasso Kush and Carmagnola Lemon varieties from Abruzzo region (Central Italy), the last two being new cultivar here described for the first time. EOs were collected at 2 h and 4 h of distillation; GC/MS technique was applied to characterize their volatile fraction. The EOs were evaluated for total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AOC) and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. The time of distillation particularly influenced EOs chemical composition, extracting more or less terpenic components, but generally enriching with minor sesquiterpenes and cannabidiol. A logical response in ratio of time was observed for antioxidant potential, being the essential oils at 4 h of distillation more active than those distilled for 2 h, and particularly Futura 75. Conversely, except for Futura 75, the effect of time on the antimicrobial activity was variable and requires further investigations; nevertheless, the inhibitory activity of all EOs against Pseudomonas fluorescens P34 was an interesting result.

A Comprehensive Phytochemical Analysis of Terpenes, Polyphenols and Cannabinoids, and Micromorphological Characterization of 9 Commercial Varieties of Cannabis sativa L.

“…Regarding Lemon Conti Kush, Fresh Mountain, and Amnesia Cookies, originated by the Kompolti variety, a considerable abundance of myrcene and other monoterpenes was detected in their EOs. This was in accordance with some literature findings in which the Kompolti EO from dried inflorescences appeared to be richer in the same compounds, rather than in sesquiterpenes [ 45 ]. So, it could be deduced that such differences in the distribution of mono- and sesquiterpenes in hemp EOs seem to be dependent on the extraction method and plant material status.…”

Anti-Microbial Activity of Phytocannabinoids and Endocannabinoids in the Light of Their Physiological and Pathophysiological Roles

“…Palmieri et al [72] studied the variability of Cannabis essential oils from various origins and observed that the time of distillation affected the chemical composition of terpenic components, sesquiterpenes, and CBD with consequent variations in the anti-microbial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterococcus faecium. Zheljazkov et al [73] compared the anti-microbial activity of nine wild hemp (Cannabis sativa spp.…”

“…The Cannabis sativa L. plants produce more than 560 chemicals, including at least 144 cannabinoids and 200 terpenoids, as well as flavonoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids [15,33,34,42,63,67,72,73,[90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107]. The most common phytocannabinoids are ∆ 9 -tetrahy drocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which are the neutral homologs of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiol acid (CBDA), respectively [108].…”

Plants with Antimicrobial Activity Growing in Italy: A Pathogen-Driven Systematic Review for Green Veterinary Pharmacology Applications

“…rapa DC.) [23] Pseudomonas fluorescens 4 Lavandula × intermedia [18]; Origanum heracleoticum and O. majorana [30]; Cannabis sativa [117] Pasteurella multocida 1 Morus alba [26] Among the plants effective against Gram+ bacteria, the major number of described species (39) was recorded for S. aureus (29%, Figure 1a), and, among these, four were specifically recorded as being effective against the MSSA strain. Twelve contributions (9%) were recorded for plants effective against S. epidermidis, 17 (13%) against B. cereus, and 21 (16%) against Listeria monocytogenes.…”