Identification and optimization of extraction methods of major cannabinoids in cannabis (cannabis sativa)

Cannabis plant belongs to the family of the Cannabinaceae, and it has recently been regulated by legal permissions for industrial and medical use in Turkey. It is an important herbal material that has become a favorite of the pharmaceutical industry, owing to the secondary metabolites it contains, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and phenolic compounds. Many scientific investigations have shown that the aforementioned secondary metabolites have significant benefits, particularly in the alleviation of antiepileptic, anticarcinogenic, and cancer pains. The purpose of this research is to validate some parameters of the method high performance liquid chromatography for quantitative analysis of the major cannabinoids (cannabidivarin, cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerol, cannabidiol, delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol, delta 8 tetrahydrocannabinol cannabidivarin, cannabidiolic acid) found in cannabis plant and optimization of the extraction of major cannabinoids in cannabis plant grown under controlled conditions by applying different methods. Using the Response Surface Method trial design, four distinct extraction procedures, namely dynamic maceration, ultrasonic aided extraction, olive oil extraction, and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of cannabinoids, were tried inside the scope of the extraction studies. According to the results, all cannabinoids within the scope of the research can be characterized linearly (r2=1,00) in the range of 0,10-250,00 mg/L, the cannabinoid detection limits range between 0,07-0,26 mg/L, and the reproducibility value is 5,50 percent. The best values for all methods adopted to extract cannabinoids from the plant were calculated and presented in tables and graphics. The results hopefully help to academic and industry research to determine cannabinoid levels in herbal samples and the best conditions of extraction currently in use, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceutical sector, food industry and chemistry.