Quantification of THC in Cannabis plants by fast-HPLC-DAD: A promising method for routine analyses.
Céline Burnier, Pierre Esseiva, Christophe Roussel
Talanta September 6, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.09.012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Method development and validation study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Cannabis plant extracts |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Plant extracts Calibration Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry Dronabinol δ9-THC THC-A Fast-hplc-dad |
| Key points | The authors propose a Fast-HPLC-DAD method that separates CBN, CBD, THC-A, and Δ9-THC in less than 5 minutes and quantifies Δ9-THC in plant extracts by external calibration with a recovery of 100.53 ± 3.12%. They argue it is a lower-cost alternative to UPLC for routine forensic analyses and avoids the thermal conversion of THC-A that limits GC-MS. |
Abstract
Nowadays, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is mainly used in forensic sciences but suffers from limitations when the analysed compounds are thermally instable as it is the case for THC-A (Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid) which is converted into Δ9-THC (Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol) that subsequently partially degrades. We propose herein a Fast High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (Fast-HPLC-DAD) method which allows the efficient separation of CBN (Cannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol), THC-A and Δ9-THC, the major cannabinoids compounds found in cannabis plants in less than 5 min. Our method allows also the proper quantification of Δ9-THC in plant extracts using an external calibration method with a very good accuracy as pointed out by a recovery of 100.53 ± 3.12%. It is also an interesting low cost alternative to Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) for routine analyses in forensic sciences.