From Field to Extract: Controlling Post-Harvest and Extraction Variables for Reproducible Recovery of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis sativa L. by Sequential Hydrodistillation and Pressurized Liquid Extraction
4 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
- 2Research Support Unit in Chemometrics, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
- 3Integrated and Urban Plant Pathology Laboratory, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
- 4Laboratory of Tumor and Development Biology, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Abstract
Valorizing the full phytochemical profile of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), including the synergistic activity often referred to as the “entourage effect,” requires efficient recovery of both its cannabinoid and terpene fractions. However, initiating cannabinoid decarboxylation through high drying temperatures leads to substantial loss of the terpene profile, making the two objectives thermally incompatible in conventional workflows. This study first investigated the influence of post-harvest conditions on cannabinoid content and decarboxylation using a Design of Experiments approach, and then developed a process bypassing the drying step, based on freezing and hydrodistillation, to formulate a broad-spectrum product combining high cannabinoid and terpene content. Two hemp chemotypes (Felina 32, CBD-dominant; Santhica 27, CBG-dominant) were characterized, and drying temperature was identified as the critical parameter governing decarboxylation. Freezing before hydrodistillation preserved monoterpenes and improved essential oil yield relative to oven-drying, while the heat of hydrodistillation itself drove in situ cannabinoid decarboxylation, enabling near-complete recovery in a subsequent pressurized liquid extraction step. This integrated process achieved near-quantitative recovery of cannabinoids and monoterpenes across independent production batches, with encouraging recovery of sesquiterpenes, supporting the standardized and reproducible valorization of hemp, especially for pharmaceutical applications.
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BibTeX
@article{hamann2026from,
title = {{From Field to Extract: Controlling Post-Harvest and Extraction Variables for Reproducible Recovery of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis sativa L. by Sequential Hydrodistillation and Pressurized Liquid Extraction}},
author = {Carla Hamann and Olivia Jansen and Lucas Teilliez and Pierre-Yves Sacré and Kateline Jullien and Françoise Bafort and Erik Maquoi and Allison Ledoux and Michel Frédérich},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31213955},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3955},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From Field to Extract: Controlling Post-Harvest and Extraction Variables for Reproducible Recovery of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis sativa L. by Sequential Hydrodistillation and Pressurized Liquid Extraction
AU - Carla Hamann
AU - Olivia Jansen
AU - Lucas Teilliez
AU - Pierre-Yves Sacré
AU - Kateline Jullien
AU - Françoise Bafort
AU - Erik Maquoi
AU - Allison Ledoux
AU - Michel Frédérich
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31213955
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3955
AB - Valorizing the full phytochemical profile of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), including the synergistic activity often referred to as the “entourage effect,” requires efficient recovery of both its cannabinoid and terpene fractions. However, initiating cannabinoid decarboxylation through high drying temperatures leads to substantial loss of the terpene profile, making the two objectives thermally incompatible in conventional workflows. This study first investigated the influence of post-harvest conditions on cannabinoid content and decarboxylation using a Design of Experiments approach, and then developed a process bypassing the drying step, based on freezing and hydrodistillation, to formulate a broad-spectrum product combining high cannabinoid and terpene content. Two hemp chemotypes (Felina 32, CBD-dominant; Santhica 27, CBG-dominant) were characterized, and drying temperature was identified as the critical parameter governing decarboxylation. Freezing before hydrodistillation preserved monoterpenes and improved essential oil yield relative to oven-drying, while the heat of hydrodistillation itself drove in situ cannabinoid decarboxylation, enabling near-complete recovery in a subsequent pressurized liquid extraction step. This integrated process achieved near-quantitative recovery of cannabinoids and monoterpenes across independent production batches, with encouraging recovery of sesquiterpenes, supporting the standardized and reproducible valorization of hemp, especially for pharmaceutical applications.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -