Volatile Composition and Sensory Properties as Quality Attributes of Fresh and Dried Hemp Flowers (Cannabis sativa L.)

Abstract

Flowers of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are widely used in cosmetics, food, and in the pharmaceutical industry. The drying process plays a key role in retention of aroma and also in the quality of products. Seven variants of hemp flower drying, including convection drying (CD), vacuum–microwave drying (VMD), and combined drying consisting of convective pre-drying followed by vacuum–microwave finishing drying (CPD-VMFD) were checked in this study. For each process, we applied the two-term model. Dried material was submitted to color and chromatographical assessments. Analyses of obtained essential oil showed the presence of 93 volatile compounds, predominantly β-myrcene, limonene, and β-(E)-caryophyllene, as well as α-humulene. Application of 240 W during VMD and 50 °C during CD gave the highest retention of aroma compounds, amounting to 85 and 76%, respectively, but with huge color changes. Additionally, sensory analysis proved that drying with a microwave power of 240 W provides a product most similar to fresh material.

Comparison of Traditional and Novel Drying Techniques and Its Effect on Quality of Fruits, Vegetables and Aromatic Herbs

“…These two combined drying processes have been reported to be more effective than either of the methods applied separately. The positive impact on the quality was observed in large number of fruits and herbs: sour cherries, jujube, orange peel, beetroot, blackcurrant, pumpkin, plums, and hemp [2,[28][29][30] (Figure 2). strawberries, cranberries, and tomatoes [2,23,[25][26][27]].…”

“…Combined drying consisting on convective pre-drying (CPD) at 60 • C and vacuum microwave finishing drying (VMFD) at 360 W of hemp[30].…”

A preliminary investigation into participants' reactions to a sensory trial investigating a cannabis edible

“…There is little research on how to conduct sensory analysis studies with cannabis or cannabinoids (Gilbert & DiVerdi, 2018; Gilbert & DiVerdi, 2019; Kwaśnica et al, 2020; Rice & Koziel, 2015). As such, this study explored participants' responses to a proposed sensory trial (hedonic scales and CATA) to evaluate a cannabis edible.…”

Flavor and Aroma Analysis as a Tool for Quality Control of Foods

“…In the second topic of studies of different processing and conditions, six manuscripts have been published [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The authors provide an overview of recent advances made in the field of food processing establishing the best processing conditions in order to obtain food based products with a high quality in terms of aroma, flavor and, consequently, consumer satisfaction.…”

“…Two ways of improvement can be researched: (i) increasing pomegranate notes and (ii) avoiding undesirable compounds after the Maillard Reaction. The fifth study by Kwasnica et al [ 8 ] describes the volatile composition and the sensory properties as quality attributes of fresh and dried hemp flowers ( Cannabis sativa L.). Flowers of hemp are widely used in cosmetics, food and in the pharmaceutical industry.…”