Comparative Study of Chemical, Biochemical Characteristic and ATR-FTIR Analysis of Seeds, Oil and Flour of the Edible Fedora Cultivar Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Abstract

A series of chemical and biochemical parameters of edible hemp resources (seeds, oil, and flour) from the monoecious EU registered hemp genotype Fedora, was determined, including fatty acid profile, phytosterol composition, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, macro- and micro-elements. The fatty acid ω-3/ω-6 approached the nutritionally optimal 3/1 ratio. β-sitosterol and other phytosterols sterols dominated the unsaponifiable fraction. Hemp seeds, flour, and oil contained 767 ± 41, 744 ± 29, and 21 ± 5 mg GAE kg−1 total polyphenols, respectively. The antioxidant potential of Fedora flour and seeds, evaluated through the DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay, was higher than that of oil. K and Mg were the most abundant macro-elements, particularly in flour, while the concentration of trace elements was Fe > Cu > Ni > Mn. The presence of an array of bioactive compound candidate Fedora products as health-promoting food matrices. The ATR-FTIR spectra of hemp-derived products indicated the proximate composition of macro-nutrients.

A Review of Hemp as Food and Nutritional Supplement

“…In one study, flour of hemp ''Fedora'' contains moisture, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and ash in the proportion of 7.9 -0.9, 30.7 -1.2, 13.6 -1.9, 41.6 -2.5, and 6.2 -0.5%, respectively, with a high content of total polyphenols quantified with the Folin-Ciocalteu method (744 -29 gallic acid equivalents). 74 Up to 10% of flour obtained from hempseed added to wheat flour did not affect dough stability and dough strength, but improved the nutritional value of the final product by increasing the levels of proteins and minerals. 75 In another study, the addition of hemp flour to starch to make gluten-free bread was associated with improvement in palatability in terms of flavor and color, as well as in the nutritional value, with increased levels of fibers and proteins.…”

“…78 Hempseed oil consists of > 800% unsaturated fats with an established cardioprotective effect such as linoleic acid (18:2 omega-6) and alinolenic acid (18:3 omega-3), which are found in hemp oil at an optimal ratio of 2/3:1. 74,79 Of note, despite the nutritional value of a balanced content in omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids, most commercially available cooking oils are selected to have a low content in omega-3 fatty acids to improve their stability, as omega-3 fatty acids rapidly turn rancid because of the presence of three double bonds. 80 In one study evaluating the composition of hempseed oil derived from seven cultivars, including ''Novosadska,'' ''Secuieni,'' ''Beniko,'' ''Felina 34,'' ''Futura 75,'' ''Tiborszállási,'' and ''Carmagnola Seleccionata,'' the total amount of unsaturated fatty acids was 82-86%, with 51.9-55.7% of linoleic acid and 12.3-15.3% of a-linolenic acid, while c-linolenic acid, which is involved in inflammatory processes, 81 ranged from 0.8% in domestic ''Novosadska'' cultivar to 2.46% in ''Beniko''.…”

Application of Chemometric Tools on Cannabis Samples Analyzed by the FTIR-ATR Method

“…The tricky part of applying Beer's Law to cannabis analysis is that it contains many different molecules, and it is not always possible to find an infrared peak that is solely due to a specific analyte 25 . Factors that may alter the infrared spectrum in plant samples are: (i) different soil compositions; (ii) differences in harvest time; (iii) use of nitrogen fertilizers 22,24 . Figure 3 shows a cannabis FTIR-ATR spectrum after range selection of 1800 -800 cm -1 .…”

“…Figure 3 shows a cannabis FTIR-ATR spectrum after range selection of 1800 -800 cm -1 . proteins and carbohydrates 15,21,22 . A primary amide from a protein is observed in stretching vibrations C=O (1637 cm -1 ).…”

“…Carbohydrates possess strong and characteristic IR absorptions between 1200 and 750 cm -1 , relevant to coupling and combining of stretching/deformation or vibrational modes of individual bonds in the molecular structure 22 . The intense band at 1160 cm -1 is probably due to the vibration of the cellulose ring-breathing, with its intensity altered systematically 22 , Table 3 shows a summary of the main assignments of the signals. Adding diluent to the analysis was an attempt to differentiate marijuana samples that did not clearly separate in the initial analysis ( Figure 9).…”