Integrated Extraction and Purification of High-Purity Cannabidiol from Industrial Hemp: Continuous Chromatography and Scale-Up Considerations
4 affiliations
- 1Institute of Advanced Technology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150020, China
- 2Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, China
- 3MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- 4Key Laboratory of Monitoring for Heavy Metal Pollutants, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Changsha, 410019, China
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a high-value non-psychoactive constituent of industrial hemp with diverse pharmacological activities. However, its low natural abundance, poor thermal stability, and the difficulty in removing psychoactive Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) limit the efficient and scalable preparation of high-purity CBD. Although recent reviews cover the cannabis processing chain or chromatographic isolation, a systematic and quantitative comparison of extraction and downstream purification as an integrated workflow is still lacking. This review establishes an integrated comparative framework for producing high-purity CBD from industrial hemp. Conventional solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, physical field-assisted extraction, and green solvent extraction are compared. Mainstream purification approaches, including molecular distillation, chromatography, and crystallization, are discussed, with emphasis on continuous chromatographic strategies such as simulated moving bed (SMB) and recycling chromatography, alongside a critical assessment of their current laboratory/preparative-scale validation and scale-up feasibility. The analysis shows that no single technique can simultaneously balance efficiency, purity, and cost; multi-technology coupling is a promising strategy for future industrial translation. Future research should focus on continuous chromatography, green solvents, process integration, and intelligent manufacturing to bridge the gap between laboratory validation and scalable industrial production.
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BibTeX
@article{sui2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated Extraction and Purification of High-Purity Cannabidiol from Industrial Hemp: Continuous Chromatography and Scale-Up Considerations}},
author = {Xin Sui and Dongqing He and Peng Li and Liangyu Zhu and Yang Xie and Tengling Ye and Ling Zhou and Sha Xie},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31213872},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3872},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated Extraction and Purification of High-Purity Cannabidiol from Industrial Hemp: Continuous Chromatography and Scale-Up Considerations
AU - Xin Sui
AU - Dongqing He
AU - Peng Li
AU - Liangyu Zhu
AU - Yang Xie
AU - Tengling Ye
AU - Ling Zhou
AU - Sha Xie
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31213872
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3872
AB - Cannabidiol (CBD) is a high-value non-psychoactive constituent of industrial hemp with diverse pharmacological activities. However, its low natural abundance, poor thermal stability, and the difficulty in removing psychoactive Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) limit the efficient and scalable preparation of high-purity CBD. Although recent reviews cover the cannabis processing chain or chromatographic isolation, a systematic and quantitative comparison of extraction and downstream purification as an integrated workflow is still lacking. This review establishes an integrated comparative framework for producing high-purity CBD from industrial hemp. Conventional solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, physical field-assisted extraction, and green solvent extraction are compared. Mainstream purification approaches, including molecular distillation, chromatography, and crystallization, are discussed, with emphasis on continuous chromatographic strategies such as simulated moving bed (SMB) and recycling chromatography, alongside a critical assessment of their current laboratory/preparative-scale validation and scale-up feasibility. The analysis shows that no single technique can simultaneously balance efficiency, purity, and cost; multi-technology coupling is a promising strategy for future industrial translation. Future research should focus on continuous chromatography, green solvents, process integration, and intelligent manufacturing to bridge the gap between laboratory validation and scalable industrial production.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -