<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L. Inflorescences from Monoecious Cultivars Grown in Central Italy: An Untargeted Chemical Characterization from Early Flowering to Ripening
Cinzia Ingallina,
Anatoly P. Sobolev,
Simone Circi,
Mattia Spano,
Caterina Fraschetti,
Antonello Filippi,
Antonella Di Sotto,
Silvia Di Giacomo,
Giulia Mazzoccanti,
Francesco Gasparrini,
Deborah Quaglio,
Enio Campiglia,
Simone Carradori,
Marcello Locatelli,
Giuliana Vinci,
Mattia Rapa,
Salvatore Ciano,
Anna Maria Giusti,
Bruno Botta,
Francesca Ghirga,
Donatella Capitani,
Luisa Mannina
Affiliations
Cinzia Ingallina
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Anatoly P. Sobolev
Institute for Biological Systems, Magnetic Resonance Laboratory “Segre-Capitani”, CNR, Via Salaria Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
Simone Circi
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Mattia Spano
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Caterina Fraschetti
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonello Filippi
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonella Di Sotto
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Ersparmer”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Silvia Di Giacomo
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Ersparmer”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Giulia Mazzoccanti
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Francesco Gasparrini
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Deborah Quaglio
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Enio Campiglia
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Simone Carradori
Department of Pharmacy, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Marcello Locatelli
Department of Pharmacy, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Giuliana Vinci
Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
Mattia Rapa
Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
Salvatore Ciano
Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
Anna Maria Giusti
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Bruno Botta
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Francesca Ghirga
Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Italian Institute of Technology, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
Donatella Capitani
Institute for Biological Systems, Magnetic Resonance Laboratory “Segre-Capitani”, CNR, Via Salaria Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
Luisa Mannina
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
The chemical composition of the inflorescences from four Cannabis sativa L. monoecious cultivars (Ferimon, Uso-31, Felina 32 and Fedora 17), recently introduced in the Lazio Region, was monitored over the season from June to September giving indications on their sensorial, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical proprieties. Both untargeted (NMR) and targeted (GC/MS, UHPLC, HPLC-PDA/FD and spectrophotometry) analyses were carried out to identify and quantify compounds of different classes (sugars, organic acids, amino acids, cannabinoids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids and biogenic amines). All cultivars in each harvesting period showed a THC content below the Italian legal limit, although in general THC content increased over the season. Citric acid, malic acid and glucose showed the highest content in the late flowering period, whereas the content of proline drastically decreased after June in all cultivars. Neophytadiene, nerolidol and chlorogenic acid were quantified only in Felina 32 cultivar, characterized also by a very high content of flavonoids, whereas alloaromadendrene and trans-cinnamic acid were detected only in Uso-31 cultivar. Naringenin and naringin were present only in Fedora 17 and Ferimon cultivars, respectively. Moreover, Ferimon had the highest concentration of biogenic amines, especially in July and August. Cadaverine was present in all cultivars but only in September. These results suggest that the chemical composition of Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences depends on the cultivar and on the harvesting period. Producers can use this information as a guide to obtain inflorescences with peculiar chemical characteristics according to the specific use.
