| Summary: | Although cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol in <i>Cannabis</i> species exert their pharmacological effects via the endocannabinoid system, it is believed that other phytochemicals, particularly terpenes, can modulate therapeutic outcomes through the entourage effect. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the pharmacological effects of <i>Cannabis</i>, obtaining information on phytochemical compositions, including mono-, di-, and sesqui-terpenes in <i>Cannabis</i> species is essential. Applying a sophisticated analytical method is indispensable. In this study, headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) was employed to identify major terpenes in the leaves and inflorescences of hybrid <i>Cannabis</i> species. The incubation time and temperature conditions for HS-GC/MS were optimized. This method was successfully applied to the leaves (<i>n</i> = 9) and inflorescences (<i>n</i> = 7) of hybrid <i>Cannabis</i> species. A total of 26 terpenes in <i>Cannabis</i> species were detected, and six major components, such as α-pinene (9.8–2270 μg/g), β-pinene (2.6–930 μg/g), myrcene (0.7–17,400 μg/g), limonene (1.3–300 μg/g), β-caryophyllene (60–3300 μg/g), and α-humulene (40–870 μg/g), were quantified. Each sample showed different terpene compositions, but six major terpenes among all the terpenes detected were consistently found in both the leaves and inflorescences of hybrid <i>Cannabis</i> species. In this study, the six major terpenes’ potential in hybrid <i>Cannabis</i> species was evaluated as biomarkers to distinguish hybrid <i>Cannabis</i> species samples. This study contributes to a better understanding of the entourage effect of <i>Cannabis</i>-based botanical drugs.
|
|---|