Ricerc@Sapienza

Industrial hemp is a strain of the Cannabis Sativa species that is specifically grown for the industrial uses of its derivatives. Besides being a rich source of bioactive compounds, such as cannabinoids, polar lipids, proteins, vitamins and phenolic compounds, hemp is still less characterized than its drug-like counterpart. However, it has recently gained increasing attention for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, since its usage is rapidly spreading in western economies. In literature, investigations of bioactive compounds occurring in hemp flowers are mainly focused on cannabinoids and their derivatives, whereas comprehensive knowledge on polar lipids and phenolic compounds is rather scarce. In order to maximize bioactive compound identification, several specific extraction procedures will be tested for both polar lipids and polyphenols. A ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography system coupled via an electrospray source to a hybrid quadrupole¿Orbitrap mass spectrometer will be employed. Spectra will be acquired in data-dependent mode, and several parameters will be investigated to acquire the largest possible number of both mass spectrometry (MS) features and MS2 mass spectra for unique species. Finally, bioinformatic softwares will be employed for data analysis, i. e. Lipostar, a comprehensive platform-neutral cheminformatics tool for lipidomics, and Compound Discoverer, a mass spectrometry data analysis software for small molecules. Also, a home-made comprehensive database of flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids and aldehydes, ellagitannins and proantocyanidins derivatives will be compiled and implemented on Compound Discoverer for polyphenols detection and identification. The aim of the project is obtaining deeper knowledge of polar lipids and phenolic compounds content in industrial hemp flower.