High Throughput Analysis of Cannabinoids by LC-UV
Featured Application: Cannabinoid Profiles on Raptor ARC-18
- Increase sample throughput with this fast, 9-minute analysis.
- Baseline separation of 16 cannabinoids provides more accurate and comprehensive potency and profile data.
- Simple, isocratic method is more easily transferable between instruments and labs than gradient methods.
As the cannabis market grows, interest in more detailed analysis of cannabinoid profiles is expanding because more comprehensive data can be used for strain identification as well as to ensure more accurate potency testing. More than 100 cannabinoids have been isolated from cannabis to date, and these compounds can interfere with the five most commonly analyzed cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and cannabinol (CBN). The LC-UV method shown here uses a Raptor ARC-18 column to fully resolve 16 major and most frequently observed minor cannabinoids for which commercial standards are available. Baseline separation ensures positive identification and accurate quantitation. As shown, all compounds were resolved in a fast 9-minute analysis, making this method suitable for high-throughput cannabis testing labs. In addition, this analysis uses a simple isocratic mobile phase so it is more easily transferable between instruments, compared to more complex methods that incorporate atypical mobile phase gradients or additives.
| Peaks | tR (min) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) | 1.877 |
| 2. | Cannabidivarin (CBDV) | 2.086 |
| 3. | Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) | 2.592 |
| 4. | Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) | 2.750 |
| 5. | Cannabigerol (CBG) | 2.912 |
| 6. | Cannabidiol (CBD) | 3.084 |
| 7. | Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) | 3.391 |
| 8. | Tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA) | 4.279 |
| Peaks | tR (min) | |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | Cannabinol (CBN) | 4.609 |
| 10. | Cannabinolic acid (CBNA) | 5.437 |
| 11. | Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) | 5.815 |
| 12. | Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) | 6.002 |
| 13. | Cannabicyclol (CBL) | 6.916 |
| 14. | Cannabichromene (CBC) | 7.263 |
| 15. | Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A) | 7.612 |
| 16. | Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA) | 8.510 |
| Column | Raptor ARC-18 (cat.# 9314A65) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 150 mm x 4.6 mm ID | ||||||||||||
| Particle Size: | 2.7 µm | ||||||||||||
| Pore Size: | 90 Å | ||||||||||||
| Guard Column: | Raptor ARC-18 EXP guard column cartridge 2.7 µm (cat.# 9314A0250) | ||||||||||||
| Temp.: | 30 °C | ||||||||||||
| Standard/Sample | Tetrahydrocannabivarin (cat.# 34100) | ||||||||||||
| Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) (cat.# 34094) | |||||||||||||
| Cannabichromene (CBC) (cat.# 34092) | |||||||||||||
| Cannabigerol (CBG) (cat.# 34091) | |||||||||||||
| delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A) | |||||||||||||
| delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol ( | |||||||||||||
| delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol ( | |||||||||||||
| Cannabinol (CBN) (cat.# 34010) | |||||||||||||
| Cannabidiol (CBD) (cat.# 34011) | |||||||||||||
| Compounds not present in these mixes were obtained separately. | |||||||||||||
| Diluent: | 25:75 Water:methanol | ||||||||||||
| Conc.: | 50 µg/mL | ||||||||||||
| Inj. Vol.: | 5 µL | ||||||||||||
| Mobile Phase | |||||||||||||
| A: | Water, 5 mM ammonium formate, 0.1% formic acid | ||||||||||||
| B: | Acetonitrile, 0.1% formic acid | ||||||||||||
|
| Detector | UV/Vis @ 228 nm |
|---|---|
| Instrument | HPLC |
| Notes | Standard cat.# 34093 was used to produce this chromatogram, but has since been discontinued. For assistance choosing a replacement for this application, contact Restek Technical Service or your local Restek representative. |