Comprehensive profiling of phytocannabinoids and phenolic compounds in hemp seeds, flours, and oil

Hemp products such as seeds, flours, and oils are increasingly sought-after due to their favorable nutritional composition. In addition to a high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the lipid fraction, these products are a rich source of phenolic compounds [ 1 ]. Besides such secondary metabolites with antioxidant potential, the hemp plant contains several other unique molecules, including cannflavins possessing this bioactivity. Also, phytocannabinoids can be transferred from inflorescence to the surface of seeds/products thereof, thus contributing to their bioactivities, both beneficial (antioxidant, neuroprotective, antimicrobial) and adverse (psychotropic). In this study, the content of 47 phytocannabinoids was determined in samples of hemp seeds (31 samples; total phytocannabinoids: 1-81 mg/kg), flours (13 samples; 4-197 mg/kg), and oils (43 samples; 0-1260 mg/kg), using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS). In 69 samples, the predominant phytocannabinoid was cannabidiol/cannabidiolic acid (CBD/CBDA); in 14 samples, it was Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol/Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THC/Δ9-THCA); and in 4 samples, it was cannabigerol/cannabigerolic acid (CBG/CBGA). Alongside the psychotropic trans -Δ9-THC (detected in 95% of samples), not the routinely detected cis -Δ9-THC isomer (detected in 37% of samples) was also quantified; in some cases, it accounted for up to 50% of the total THC equivalent. In 8 samples, the legal limit for Δ9-THC content, as set by Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for contaminants in food, was exceeded. In addition to phytocannabinoids, the profile of phenolic compounds was also assessed. The most abundant compounds included cannflavins A and B, apigenin, quercetin, catechin, salicylic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid. Acknowledgement This work was supported by the METROFOOD-CZ Research Infrastructure ( https://metrofood.cz ), supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Project No. LM2023064) Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany