Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 25 No 5 (2021): 867 - 881

 

 

 

 

EXTRACTION AND ISOLATION OF HIGH QUANTITIES OF CANNABIDIOL, CANNABINOL, AND DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL FROM Cannabis sativa L.

 

(Pengekstrakan dan Pengasingan Kuantiti Tinggi bagi Cannabidiol, Cannabinol  dan Delta-9-Tetrahidrocannabinol dari Cannabis sativa L.)

 

Fameera Madaka^1,2*, Natawat Chankana^2,3, Nanthaphong Khamthong⁴, Athip Maha², Thanapat Songsak^2,5

 

¹Drug and Herbal Product Research and Development Center

²Medicinal Cannabis Research Institute

³Sun Herb Thai-Chinese Manufacturing

⁴College of Oriental Medicine

⁵Department of Pharmacognosy

College of Pharmacy, Rangsit University, Thailand

 

*Corresponding author:  fameera.m@rsu.ac.th

 

 

Received: 4 August 2021; Accepted: 7 October 2021; Published:  25 October 2021

 

 

Abstract

This study aimed to develop the extraction and isolation methods of cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), from Cannabis sativa L. using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and flash chromatography, respectively. SFE was performed at different pressures (190-300 bar), temperatures (42-50 ^oC), and ethanol as co-solvent (0-4%). The effect of SFE parameters on the yield, and the contents of CBD, CBN, and THC in the crude extracts were investigated. Among the seventeen samples, the highest extraction yields of 7.02, 6.90, and 4.61% were obtained, respectively. Under the setting pressure of 250 bar, the temperature of 50 ^oC, and the co-solvent of 1-2%, high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the highest contents of CBD (14.53% w/w), CBN (26.75% w/w), and THC (3.21% w/w). Three extracts with high CBD, CBN, and THC contents were selected and further purified by flash chromatography, and the three isolated cannabinoids were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and HPLC. Our sequential SFE and flash chromatography process could be employed to obtain a high quantity of cannabinoids which proved that a high purity could be achieved for CBD, CBN, and THC.

 

Keywords:  Cannabis sativa L., cannabidiol, cannabinol, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, supercritical fluid extraction

 

Abstrak

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan kaedah pengekstrakan dan pengasingan kanabinoid termasuk cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), dan delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol (THC), dari Cannabis sativa L. menggunakan masing-masing pengekstrakan cecair supergenting (SFE) dan kromatografi kilat. SFE dilakukan pada tekanan yang berbeza (190-300 bar), suhu (42-50^oC), dan etanol sebagai pelarut bersama (0-4%). Pengaruh parameter SFE terhadap hasil, dan kandungan CBD, CBN, dan THC dalam ekstrak mentah disiasat. Di antara tujuh belas sampel, hasil pengekstrakan tertinggi masing-masing adalah 7.02, 6.90, dan 4.61%. Di bawah tekanan penetapan 250 bar, suhu 50^oC, dan pelarut bersama 1-2%, analisis kromatografi cecair berprestasi tinggi (HPLC) menunjukkan kandungan CBD tertinggi (14.53% w/w), CBN (26.75% w/w), dan THC (3.21% w/w). Tiga ekstrak dengan kandungan CBD, CBN, dan THC yang tinggi dipilih dan selanjutnya dimurnikan dengan kromatografi kilat, dan tiga kanabinoid yang diasingkan dianalisis mengunakan magnetic resonan nukleus (NMR) dan HPLC. Proses kromatografi kilat dan SFE berurutan kami dapat digunakan untuk mendapatkan jumlah kanabinoid yang tinggi yang membuktikan bahawa kemurnian tinggi dapat dicapai untuk CBD, CBN, dan THC.

 

Kata kunci:     Cannabis sativa L., cannabidiol, cannabinol, delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol, pengekstrakan cecair supergenting

 

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