A high-throughput method for the comprehensive analysis of terpenes and terpenoids in medicinal cannabis biomass
In this 2020 paper published in the journal Matabolites, Krill et al. of Australia’s AgriBio present their findings in an attempt to reduce runtimes and extraction complexity associated with quantifying terpenes in cannabis biomass. Noting the evolving needs of high-throughput cannabis breeding programs, the researchers present a method “based on a simple hexane extract from 40 mg of biomass, with 50 μg/mL dodecane as internal standard, and a gradient of less than 30 minutes.” After presenting current background on terpene extraction, the researchers discuss the various aspects of their method and provide the details of materials and equipment used. They conclude that their method “covers a large cross-section of commonly detected cannabis volatiles, is validated for a large proportion of compounds it covers, and offers significant improvement in terms of sample preparation and sample throughput over previously published studies.”
