What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Endocannabinoid.

Where was this research published?

Published in RSC advances on September 16, 2026.

Solvent choice changes antioxidant extraction from cannabis tissues

Q: What did this research study find?

*Solvent composition significantly affected* phenolic extraction from both cannabis inflorescences and leaves, with different mixtures producing the highest total phenolic content in each plant organ.

Effect of solvent polarity on phenolic antioxidant extraction from Cannabis sativa L. leaves and inflorescences: mixture design optimization and HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS2 profiling.

RSC advances • September 16, 2026 • Highly Relevant

🤖

AI Summary

This laboratory study examined how mixtures of water, acetone, and ethanol affect the extraction of phenolic compounds from Cannabis sativa L. leaves and inflorescences. Using a mixture design approach, the researchers measured total phenolic content and antioxidant activity with several chemical assays. Solvent composition strongly influenced extraction, and the best-performing mixtures differed between plant parts: inflorescences reached a maximum total phenolic content of 16.05 mg GAE/g dry weight, while leaves reached 13.65 mg GAE/g dry weight. Multi-response optimization selected different solvent blends for each organ, further indicating that extraction conditions are matrix-dependent.

Chemical profiling identified 32 compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid amides, lignanamides, and cannabinoid derivatives. Acetone-rich mixtures produced the highest total cannabinoid content reported in the abstract—10.56 mg CBN equivalents/g dry weight for inflorescences and 8.45 mg CBN equivalents/g dry weight for leaves. The extracts also showed reducing and radical-scavenging activity across the tested assays. However, this was an extraction and chemical-analysis study, not a human or animal study; its laboratory antioxidant results cannot establish health benefits, treatment effects, or safety in people. This is an abstract-based summary and does not assess the full text.

💡 Key Findings

Solvent composition significantly affected phenolic extraction from both cannabis inflorescences and leaves, with different mixtures producing the highest total phenolic content in each plant organ.

High

85%

The highest reported total phenolic contents were 16.05 mg GAE/g dry weight for inflorescences and 13.65 mg GAE/g dry weight for leaves.

High

85%

HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS2 profiling identified 32 compounds spanning phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignanamides, hydroxycinnamic acid amides, and cannabinoid derivatives.

High

85%

Acetone-rich mixtures produced the highest reported total cannabinoid contents: 10.56 mg CBN equivalents/g dry weight in inflorescences and 8.45 mg CBN equivalents/g dry weight in leaves.

High

85%

The extracts showed reducing and radical-scavenging activity in multiple laboratory assays, but the study does not establish a clinical benefit or therapeutic effect.

High

80%

📄 Original Abstract

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a source of bioactive compounds with promising applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields. Applying a mixture design approach with three solvents (water, acetone and ethanol), this study investigated how solvent composition modulates the recovery of phenolic compounds from cannabis inflorescences and leaves. Extracts were assessed for total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, and TAC assays, and their chemical profiles were characterized by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS2. Solvent composition significantly affected extraction efficiency across plant organs. For inflorescences, the highest TPC value (16.05 mg GAE per g dry weight) was obtained with an acetone-enriched mixture (1/6 water-1/6 ethanol-2/3 acetone), whereas leaves reached their maximum (13.65 mg GAE per g DW) with 1/3 ethanol-2/3 acetone. Multi-response optimization identified 1/3 water-1/3 ethanol-1/3 acetone for inflorescences and 50% water-30% ethanol-20% acetone for leaves as the optimal solvent mixtures. HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS2 analysis identified 32 compounds belonging to several classes, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid amides, lignanamides, and cannabinoid derivatives. These classes showed diverse content depending on the solvent and plant matrix. The acetone rich mixture produced the highest total cannabinoids (10.56 and 8.45 mg CBN equivalents per g dry weight) for inflorescences and leaves, respectively. These results reveal clear organ and solvent-dependent selectivity in Moroccan Cannabis. These differences were reflected in the antioxidant activities, with extracts showing notable reducing and radical-scavenging capacities across DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, and TAC assays. These findings support the targeted valorization of cannabis leaves and inflorescences as sources of antioxidant phytochemicals for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: RSC advances
Published: September 16, 2026
PMID: 42751042
DOI: 10.1039/d6ra05874d

Authors (7)

Omayma El Maabiche Synergy Lab, Higher School of Education and Training, Mohammed I University BP-410 60000 Oujda Morocco f.mansouri@ump.ac.ma +212 536500612.
Chaymae Benkirane Laboratory of Agricultural Productions Improvement, Biotechnology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed I University BP-717 60000 Oujda Morocco.
Rafika El Ati Synergy Lab, Higher School of Education and Training, Mohammed I University BP-410 60000 Oujda Morocco f.mansouri@ump.ac.ma +212 536500612.
Yamina Haddad Synergy Lab, Higher School of Education and Training, Mohammed I University BP-410 60000 Oujda Morocco f.mansouri@ump.ac.ma +212 536500612.
Marie-Laure Fauconnier Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Molecules, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège Passage des Déportés, 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium.
+2 more authors