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. 2022 Jan 27;14(2):298.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020298.

An Optimized Terpene Profile for a New Medical Cannabis Oil

Valentina Maggini  1 , Lorenzo Calvi  1 , Tommaso Pelagatti  1   2 , Eugenia Rosaria Gallo  1 , Celine Civati  2 , Carlo Privitera  3 , Flavio Squillante  2 , Paolo Maniglia  4 , Domenico Di Candia  5 , Roberto Spampatti  2 , Fabio Firenzuoli  1
Affiliations

An Optimized Terpene Profile for a New Medical Cannabis Oil

Valentina Maggini et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

The purpose of this analytical study was to develop an advanced formulation of medical Cannabis oil (MCO) comparing the chemical profile of different extracts obtained with two existing methods (SIFAP and CALVI) and one original upgraded (CERFIT) method. Preparation methods were applied with varying solvent, temperature, and duration of the decarboxylation and extraction steps. HPLC-MS/MS TSQ and GC/FID-HS analyses were performed to investigate cannabinoid and terpene contents in the three oil extracts. Cannabinoids profile remained comparable between the formulations. CERFIT extracts exhibited a superior quantity of total terpene hydrocarbon forms (e.g., limonene and α-pinene) with no degradation occurrence (i.e., oxidized terpenes not quantifiable). Thus, this new method optimized the phytochemical profile of the MCO presenting a value opportunity to obtain a standardized high-level therapeutic product.

Keywords: Cannabis sativa L.; cannabinoids; extraction method; medical use; monoterpenes; oil preparation; oxidized terpenes; sesquiterpenes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC-MS/MS mass chromatogram of a standard calibration point for analytes involved in the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of concentrations of Δ9-THC, Δ9-THCA (panel (a)), CBD and CBDA (panel (b)) in medical Cannabis oil preparations extracted by three different methods.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representative GC/MS chromatograms of the extracts obtained from medical Cannabis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of terpene classes’ concentrations (μg/mL) obtained with the three different extraction method.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Distribution of concentrations of β-caryophyllene, limonene and α-pinene in medical Cannabis oil preparations extracted by three different methods.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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