Phytochemical Analysis

A Validated GC‐MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential oil

Noelle Joy 1
, 
Daniel Jackson 2
, 
Timothy Coolong 1
1
 
Department of Horticulture, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
2
 
UGA Agricultural & Environmental Services Laboratories Athens Georgia USA
Publication type: Journal Article
Publication date: 2025-03-05
scimago Q1
wos Q2
SJR: 0.508
CiteScore: 6.0
Impact factor: 3
ISSN: 09580344, 10991565
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction

Terpenes, which are found in high concentrations in the essential oil fraction of the Cannabis sativa flower, have demonstrated potential in many therapeutic and industrial applications.

Objectives

This work reports on a method developed for quantifying 18 terpenes in C. sativa essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation. The following method has been evaluated for specificity, selectivity, accuracy, linearity, precision, stability, limit of detection, and limit of quantification.

Materials and Methods

Samples were prepared by separating the essential oil fraction through hydrodistillation and then diluting with ethyl acetate containing a 100 μg/mL solution of n‐tridecane and octadecane as internal standards. Analysis was performed on a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) using selected ion monitoring (SIM).

Results

The developed method enabled quantification of isomers of nerolidol and ocimene and several coeluting compounds, with recoveries of 87.35%–116.61%. Two cultivars of C. sativa flower were evaluated, and the dominant terpene compounds in both cultivars were β‐myrcene (5.85–8.62 mg/g dried plant) and β‐caryophyllene (3.89–4.69 mg/g), followed by α‐humulene (1.35–1.99 mg/g), limonene (0.91–1.33 mg/g), and α‐bisabolol (0.66–0.68 mg/g).

Conclusion

This method provides an accurate and reliable procedure for separating and quantifying the major terpene compounds in C. sativa flower using hydrodistillation and GCMS with SIM. The simplicity and solvent‐free nature of the hydrodistillation extraction, combined with the specificity and accuracy of using SIM and external standards, enables the determination of total and individual terpenes concentrations within plant material and supports numerous industrial and therapeutic applications.

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Joy N., Jackson D., Coolong T. A Validated GC‐MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential oil // Phytochemical Analysis. 2025.
GOST all authors (up to 50) Copy
Joy N., Jackson D., Coolong T. A Validated GC‐MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential oil // Phytochemical Analysis. 2025.
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RIS Copy
TY - JOUR
DO - 10.1002/pca.3526
UR - https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pca.3526
TI - A Validated GC‐MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential oil
T2 - Phytochemical Analysis
AU - Joy, Noelle
AU - Jackson, Daniel
AU - Coolong, Timothy
PY - 2025
DA - 2025/03/05
PB - Wiley
SN - 0958-0344
SN - 1099-1565
ER -
BibTex
Cite this
BibTex (up to 50 authors) Copy
@article{2025_Joy,
author = {Noelle Joy and Daniel Jackson and Timothy Coolong},
title = {A Validated GC‐MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential oil},
journal = {Phytochemical Analysis},
year = {2025},
publisher = {Wiley},
month = {mar},
url = {https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pca.3526},
doi = {10.1002/pca.3526}
}
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