Hemp seed oil: Chemical characterization of three non-drug varieties cultivated in Morocco

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) seed oil is known for their food use, is the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids from hemp seeds that would make these interesting products. The yield and the chemical characterization of three varieties of non-drugs hemp oil cultivated in Morocco were determined. Three varieties were used, namely, Santhica 27, Futura 75, and Epsilon 68 listed in the French and European catalogs. The chemical composition of all varieties from hemp oils was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The oil content of the hemp seeds ranged between 30.45% and 34.93%. Among the 09 detected fatty acids, a high level of linoleic acid (omega-6) was recorded between 56.71 0.1% and 57.70 0.1%, -linolenic acid (omega-3) ranged from 13.66 0.04% to 14.80 0.06%, and the oleic acid ranged from 12.80 0.04% to 13.30 0.03%. Moreover, palmitic, stearic, and arachidic acids contents varied between 7.32 0.02% (Futura 75) to 7.70 0.03% (Santhica 27), 2.40 0.02% (Futura 75) to 2.60 0.04% (Epsilon 68), and 0.9% for all varieties, respectively. These results show that the hemp seeds cultivated in Morocco could be used as a source of food, characterized by high nutritional value.