Hempseeds (Cannabis spp.) as a source of functional food ingredients, prebiotics and phytosterols

Abstract

The history of agriculture gives evidence that hemp had been cultivated by farmers for seed and oil near the northern limit of agriculture since ancient times. Nowadays, hemp is a focus of interest as a source of prebiotics as functional food ingredient. This study was aimed at evaluating physiologically active metabolomic compounds in the seed of thirty-three Cannabis spp. accessions, representing industrial dual-purpose (fibre and seed), universal, breeding materials used for food, ruderal and recreational landraces grown in Northwestern Russia. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, polysaccharides, polyhydric alcohols, phytosterols and phytol in seeds were measured. The maximum concentration of linoleic acid reached 43794 ppm, linolenic acid 4277, oleic acid 17112, polysaccharides 131113, polyhydric alcohols 21384, and sitosterol 793. Ruderal hemp was found to be rich in phytol (35 ppm). The food seed/oil material contained the maximum amounts of campesterol and sitosterol. The studied hemp accessions can serve as sources of physiologically active and safe ingredients of healthy food and phytosterols as well as be used in breeding programs to develop hemp seed cultivars.