[Oil and flour of Cannabis sativa L. multiscreening analysis of mycotoxins, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals and pesticide residues]
Fusari, P; Rovellini, P; Folegatti, L; Baglio, D; Cavalieri, A
This paper describes the application of multiscreening methods aimed to the determination of mycotoxins, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals and phytoresidues in oil and flour obtained from Cannabis sativa L. This plant is cultivated for textile fiber production and extraction of oil from seeds and is used in food and folk medicinal preparations for its positive health benefits, including lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure. Moreover, due to the high content of polyunsaturated compounds, hemp seed oil has been used for printer's ink, wood preservative and also for detergents and soaps.
The multiscreening analysis regarding mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, zearalenone) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on oil and flour were negative for all components. The analysis of the main phthalates, used in plastic production, showed a fairly high content of diethylhexylphthalate in hemp oil, probably due to the type of packaging in which the sample was stored.
The analysis of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, nickel, arsenic and chromium) and some metals from industrial processes (iron, copper and phosphorus) in the oil found no presence for the former and only few amounts of iron, copper and phosphorus.
The hemp flour is instead found to be a potential source of micronutrients, such as iron, manganese and zinc, useful in human and animal nutrition, in addition to a high amount of phosphorus highly available, while the concentrations of the toxic metal compounds were below the limit of detection of the analytical methods.
Execution of multiscreening analysis for pesticides revealed positive results for certain residues on oil, flour, and oil extracted from the flour, even if at low concentrations.
