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Hempseeds, the edible fruits of the Cannabis sativa L. plant, were initially considered a by-product of the hemp technical fibre industry. Nowadays, following the restorationing of the cultivation of C. sativa L. plants containing an amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) <0.3% or 0.2% (industrial hemp) there is a growing interest for the hempseeds production due to their high nutritional value and functional features. The goal of this review is to examine the scientific literature concerning the nutritional and functional properties of hempseeds. Furthermore, we revised the scientific literature regarding the potential use of hempseeds and their derivatives as a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory and chronic-degenerative diseases on animal models and humans too. In the first part of the work, we provide information regarding the genetic, biochemical, and legislative aspects of this plant that are, in our opinion essential to understand the difference between “industrial” and “drug-type” hemp. In the final part of the review, the employment of hempseeds by the food industry as livestock feed supplement and as ingredient to enrich or fortify daily foods has also revised. Overall, this review intends to encourage further and comprehensive investigations about the adoption of hempseeds in the functional foods field.

The growing demand in natural matrices that represent a source of dietary and nutraceutical molecules has led to an increasing interest in Cannabis sativa, considered to be a multipurpose, sustainable crop. Particularly, the considerable content in essential fatty acids (FAs) makes its derived-products useful food ingredients in the formulation of dietary supplements. In this research, the FA and triacylglycerol (TAG) composition of hempseed oils and flours were investigated using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and flame ionization detection as well as liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS), respectively. Furthermore, a recently introduced linear retention index (LRI) approach in LC was successfully employed as a useful tool for the reliable identification of TAG species. A total of 30 FAs and 62 glycerolipids were positively identified in the investigated samples. Relative quantitative analyses confirmed linoleic acid as the most abundant component (50–55%). A favorable omega6/omega3 ratio was also measured in hemp-derived products, with the α-linolenic acid around 12–14%. Whereas, γ-linolenic acid was found to be higher than 1.70%. These results confirm the great value of Cannabis sativa as a source of valuable lipids, and the further improvement of the LRI system paves the way for the automatization of the identification process in LC.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the leading cause of global mortality with 1.7 million deaths a year. One of the alternative systems to drug therapy to minimize the risk of CVDs is represented by alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid of the omega-3 series, known for its cholesterol-lowering effect. The main purpose of this review is to analyze the effects of ALA and investigate the relevant omega-6/omega-3 ratio in order to maintain functionally beneficial effects. Concerning the lipid-lowering preventive effects, ALA may favorably affect the values of LDL-C and triglycerides in both adult and pediatric populations. Furthermore, ALA has shown protective effects against hypertension, contributing to balancing blood pressure through customary diet. According to the 2009 EFSA statement, dietary ALA may contribute to reducing the risk of CVDs, thanks to anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic and cardioprotective effects.

•Extraction and GC/MS methods for hemp seeds and hempseed oil were developed and validated.•Concentrations of THC, CBD, and CBN in commercial hemp seeds and hempseed oil were measured.•A trend was observed by comparing THC, CBD, and CBN ratios in hemp seeds and hempseed oil. Hemp seeds and hempseed oil are marketed on- and off-line as health foods and cosmetics and have been reported to have high nutrient contents. However, because of the various side effects of cannabinoids, especially △9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), many countries regulate upper limits for THC in products, which creates the need for analytical techniques capable of measuring THC, cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) levels in commercial hemp seeds and hempseed oil. In the present study, hemp seed and hempseed oil extracts obtained by methanol extraction, were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Validation of the technique used was performed using calibration curves and by determining LODs, LOQs, specificities, selectivities, and intra- and inter-day precision and accuracies. In addition, matrix effects, process efficiencies, recoveries, and sample stabilities were investigated. In hemp seeds, as determined using the fully optimized method THC concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 5.91 μg/g, CBD concentrations from 0.32 to 25.55 μg/g, and CBN concentrations from 0.01 to 1.50 μg/g; CBN/THC ratios ranged from 0.1 to 1.60, and CBD/THC ratios from 0.11 to 62.56. Furthermore, the (THC + CBN)/CBD ratio of most hemp seed samples was less than one. In hempseed oil, THC concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 19.73 μg/mL, CBD concentrations from 6.66 to 63.40 μg/mL, CBN concentrations from 0.11 to 2.31 μg/mL, CBN/THC ratios from 0.12 to 0.42, and CBD/THC ratios from 3.21 to 22.50. Furthermore, (THC + CBN)/CBD ratios in all hempseed oil samples were less than one. The optimized methanol extraction-GC/MS technique was found to be satisfactory for determining THC, CBD, and CBN concentrations in hemp seeds and hempseed oil.

Hempseed hydrolysates prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis have been previously shown to have potent antioxidant activity. The objective of this study is to examine lipid oxidation in beef and turkey meatballs in the presence of selected hempseed hydrolysate products. Alcalase hydrolyzed hempseed meal (AHM10) and hempseed protein isolate (AHPI10) were incorporated into meat products to determine their effects on oxidation over time. Changes in lipid oxidation levels over a 14-day period at 4 °C were determined using peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) methods. Additionally, sensory analyses of the cooked beef and turkey meatballs were performed on day 1 and day 14 of storage to determine the effect of hempseed hydrolysates on the sensory attributes of both meat systems. Overall, AHM10 at 0.4% acted most effectively in beef meatballs and showed enhanced antioxidant activity when compared to EDTA at 100 ppm. Specifically, its use maintained PV below 5.0 meq hydroperoxides/kg oil and TBARS below 1.8 mg MDA/kg oil across the 14-day period. In sensory analysis, no significant differences were found amongst the treatments for various attributes and panelists did not detect bitterness or off flavors. Thus, AHM10 is applicable in food systems as an alternative antioxidant to replace synthetic ones.

Hempseed (Cannabis sativa) protein is an important source of bioactive peptides. H3 (IGFLIIWV), a transepithelial transported intestinal peptide obtained from the hydrolysis of hempseed protein with pepsin, carries out antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in HepG2 cells. In this study, the main aim was to assess its hypocholesterolemic effects at a cellular level and the mechanisms behind this health-promoting activity. The results showed that peptide H3 inhibited the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl co-enzyme A reductase (HMGCoAR) activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 59 μM. Furthermore, the activation of the sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBP)-2 transcription factor, followed by the increase of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) protein levels, was observed in human hepatic HepG2 cells treated with peptide H3 at 25 µM. Meanwhile, peptide H3 regulated the intracellular HMGCoAR activity through the increase of its phosphorylation by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-pathways. Consequently, the augmentation of the LDLR localized on the cellular membranes led to the improved ability of HepG2 cells to uptake extracellular LDL with a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Unlike the complete hempseed hydrolysate (HP), peptide H3 can reduce the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) protein levels and its secretion in the extracellular environment via the decrease of hepatic nuclear factor 1-α (HNF1-α). Considering all these evidences, H3 may represent a new bioactive peptide to be used for the development of dietary supplements and/or peptidomimetics for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention.

In this paper, we present the possibility of using pea protein isolates as a stabilizer for hempseed oil (HSO)-based water/oil emulsions in conjunction with lecithin as a co-surfactant. A Box-Behnken design was employed to build polynomial models for optimization of the ultrasonication process to prepare the emulsions. The stability of the system was verified by droplet size measurements using dynamic light scattering (DLS) as well as centrifugation and thermal challenge tests. The z-ave droplet diameters of optimized emulsion were 209 and 207 nm after preparation and 1 week storage, respectively. The concentration of free Linoleic acid (C18:2; n-6) was used for calculation of entrapment efficiency in prepared nanoemulsions. At optimum conditions of the process, up to 98.63% ± 1.95 of entrapment was achieved. FTIR analysis and rheological tests were also performed to evaluate the quality of oil and emulsion, and to verify the close-to-water like behavior of the prepared samples compared to the viscous nature of the original oil. Obtained results confirmed the high impact of lecithin and pea protein concentrations on the emulsion droplet size and homogeneity confirmed by microscopic imaging. The presented results are the first steps towards using hempseed oil-based emulsions as a potential food additive carrier, such as flavor. Furthermore, the good stability of the prepared nanoemulsion gives opportunities for potential use in biomedical and cosmetic applications.

In this study, two saponins-rich plant extracts, viz. Saponaria officinalis and Quillaja saponaria, were used as surfactants in an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion based on hempseed oil (HSO). This study focused on a low oil phase content of 2% v/v HSO to investigate stable emulsion systems under minimum oil phase conditions. Emulsion stability was characterized by the emulsification index (EI), centrifugation tests, droplet size distribution as well as microscopic imaging. The smallest droplets recorded by dynamic light scattering (droplets size v. number), one day after the preparation of the emulsion, were around 50–120 nm depending the on use of Saponaria and Quillaja as a surfactant and corresponding to critical micelle concentration (CMC) in the range 0–2 g/L. The surface and interfacial tension of the emulsion components were studied as well. The effect of emulsions on environmental bacteria strains was also investigated. It was observed that emulsions with Saponaria officinalis extract exhibited slight toxic activity (the cell metabolic activity reduced to 80%), in contrast to Quillaja emulsion, which induced Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 17400 growth. The highest-stability samples were those with doubled CMC concentration. The presented results demonstrate a possible use of oil emulsions based on plant extract rich in saponins for the food industry, biomedical and cosmetics applications, and nanoemulsion preparations.

Hempseed oil (HSO) is extremely rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic (18:2 n-6) and α-linolenic (18:3 n-3) acids, which determine its high sensitivity to oxidative and photo-oxidative degradations that can lead to rancidity despite the presence of antioxidant compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate which material/temperature/light solutions better preserve HSO quality during its shelf life and to test NIR as a rapid, non-destructive technique for monitoring oxidation phenomena. Futura 75 hemp seeds were cold-pressed; the oil was packed into 20 mL vials of four different materials (polypropylene, clear glass, amber glass, and amber glass coated with aluminum foil) and stored for 270 days at 25 °C under diffused light and at 10 °C in dark conditions., Peroxides and conjugated dienes and trienes were evaluated at intervals to monitor oil stability. Moreover, NIR spectra were measured in transmission, and the sample dataset was analyzed using ASCA to test the significance of the experimental factors: the model showed the significance of all factors and of all the simple interactions. Our results demonstrate that oil stored in amber glass vials with aluminum foils at refrigerated temperatures receive the highest protection from environmental conditions, mitigating oxidative changes, and that the NIR technique could be used to rapidly monitor HSO oxidation parameters.

The use of natural surfactants including plant extracts, plant hydrocolloids and proteins in nanoemulsion systems has received commercial interest due to demonstrated safety of use and potential health benefits of plant products. In this study, a whey protein isolate (WPI) from a byproduct of cheese production was used to stabilize a nanoemulsion formulation that contained hempseed oil and the Aesculus hippocastanum L. extract (AHE). A Box–Behnken experimental design was used to set the formulation criteria and the optimal nanoemulsion conditions, used subsequently in follow-up experiments that measured specifically emulsion droplet size distribution, stability tests and visual quality. Regression analysis showed that the concentration of HSO and the interaction between HSO and the WPI were the most significant factors affecting the emulsion polydispersity index and droplet size (nm) (p < 0.05). Rheological tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and L*a*b* color parameters were also taken to characterize the physicochemical properties of the emulsions. Emulsion systems with a higher concentration of the AHE had a potential metabolic activity up to 84% in a microbiological assay. It can be concluded from our results that the nanoemulsion system described herein is a safe and stable formulation with potential biological activity and health benefits that complement its use in the food industry.