Assessment of N-Acylethanolamines levels in dry achenes from four cultivars of cannabis sativa L.

Abstract

We utilized high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), on dry achenes from four cultivars of Cannabis Sativa L.; CA, Cannabis Sativa L. Cultivar Amnesia; CB, Cannabis Sativa L. Cultivar Beldia; CM, Cannabis Sativa L. Cultivar Mexicana; CK, Cannabis Sativa L. Cultivar Khardala, to detect and quantify N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), which are bioactive compounds involved in lipid and energy metabolism. These plants were grown in Chefchaouen, northern Morocco. All four varieties displayed identical NAE lipid profiles, dominated by those derived from 16C and 18C fatty acids. In general, the NAE species presented the following concentration order: [LEA] > [OEA > POEA] > [SEA] > [PEA]. NAE-MUFA was the most abundant type, followed by NAE-PUFA and NAE-SFA, comprising 44, 37, and 19% of all NAEs, respectively, across the varieties. This research provides first-time quantification of NAEs in Cannabis achenes, thus enriching our understanding of these plants’ pharmaceutical and nutritional potential.