2.2.1. β-Pinene
The concentration of
β-pinene in the control EO was 3.1%, its concentration ranges were 0.75–7.0% and 3.7–8.3% in the EO fractions of the nonground and ground materials, respectively.
β-Pinene was eluted early in the hydrodistillation of the ground material and decreased in later DT; however, the dynamics of its elution in the non-ground material was different, with maximum elution in the 80–120 and 0.5 DT and the lowest in the 20–80 min DT (
Table 2).
β-Pinene is a bicyclic monoterpene and along with the
α-pinene, one of the determinants of hemp EO aroma. Its concentration in the control EO of this study was similar to previous reports [
17,
19,
20,
26,
27,
30]. The concentration of
β-pinene was found to be dependent on location and harvest time and varied from 2.3 to 3.6% in the EO of cv. Fedora 17 [
26], up to 9.2% in commercial hemp EOs [
19], and was 2.2% in marijuana EO, [
31].
2.2.2. Myrcene
The concentration of myrcene in the control EO was 7.1%, similar to previous reports of 2.4–9.7% [
19,
30,
32]. This constituent is one of the determinants of marijuana odor, has a high-odor impact, and can easily emit through duffel bag [
33]. Myrcene concentration ranges in the EO fractions in this study were 3.1–15.5% and 12.5–21.1% in the fractions of the nonground and ground materials, respectively (
Supplementary Table S1). Most of the myrcene in the ground material was eluted in the 5–10 min DT and much less in later DT (
Table 2). However, myrcene in the EO from nonground material was the highest in the 80–120 min DT (
Table 2). Myrcene, acyclic monoterpene, is one of the major constituents in hemp EO [
17,
20,
27,
32], either industrial (grain or fiber) or hemp used for production of high-value chemicals such as CBD in the U.S. [
29]. Myrcene concentration in CBD-type hemp strain was reported to be 9.2–12% of total oil [
29]. Myrcene in the EO of cv. CS (Carmagnola Selezionata) was 5–6% [
17]. Myrcene in the drug-type hemp (marijuana) tissue was relatively low, (0.7–4.3%) in female flower buds [
34], and it was 1% in the marijuana EO [
31].
2.2.3. δ-3-Carene
The concentration of
δ-3-carene in the control EO was 4.5%, and its concentration ranges were 4.3–8.2% and 3.5–5.7% in the EO fractions from the nonground and ground materials, respectively (
Table 2). The concentration of
δ-3-carene was the highest in the 0–5 min DT from nonground material.
δ-3-Carene is a bicyclic monoterpene, found in all types of hemp [
35]. In a previous study, its concentration was found to be n.d.–62% in wild hemp EO, and n.d. to 0.19, 0.45, and 0.79% in the EO of hemp cultivars Carmagnola, Simba, and Dioica, respectively [
29]. Recent studies reported n.d. to 0.1%
δ-3-carene in the EO of cv. CS [
17], and 0.2–0, and 0.2–0.3% in the EO of cv Felina 32 [
28], and again 0.2% in the EO of Felina [
36].
2.2.4. Limonene
Limonene concentration in the control EO was 2.38%, which was within the range reported previously [
22,
26]. Limonene concentration in the EO of cv. Felina 32 was around 0.4–0.5% [
28,
36], and around 2% in the EO of cv. CS [
17]. Limonene concentration ranges were n.d–4.11% and 1.8–2.8% in the EO fractions of the nonground and ground material, respectively (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3). The concentration of limonene was also the highest in the 0–5 min DT fraction of nonground material. In a previous study at the same location, limonene in the EO was n.d.–0.76% in feral hemps, and n.d.–0.29 in cv. Bacalmas, 0.59% in cv. Carmagnola, 0.92% in cv Helena, and 1.29% in cv Simba were [
29]. However, the concentration of limonene in U.S. strain grown for commercial production of CBD was 6.5–7.5% [
29]. Hemp “strain” is a common term in the U.S. to describe chemotype of hemp, or selection line that was not yet officially registered; there are hundreds of strains with names like cultivars, some are called “varieties” [
37]. However, some authors argue it was inappropriate term to describe chemotypes, as this term is used for bacteria and viruses but not for plants [
12]. Limonene, monocyclic monoterpene, is found in all types of hemp, it is one of the signature compounds in marijuana headspace [
33]. For example, limonene concentration in drug-type hemp varied between 0.03 and 1.53% [
34], the sum of limonene and
β-phellandrene was reported to be 1% of marijuana EO [
31].
2.2.5. Eucalyptol (1,8-Cineol)
Eucalyptol (1,8-cineol) concentration in the control EO was 1.38%, and its ranges in the EO fractions were 0.00–2.65% and 0.2–4.3% in the nonground and ground materials, respectively. The concentration of eucalyptol was the highest in the 0–5 min ground and in the 80–120 min nonground material fractions. While the concentration of this constituent decreased in later DT fractions from the ground material, a somewhat reverse trend was observed with its concentration in the nonground material (
Table 2). Eucalyptol, bicyclic monoterpenoid, is a common constituent of hemp EO [
26,
38], but also in the EO of other species such as lavender and hyssop [
39], Scotch spearmint [
40], common basil [
41], and has shown antidepressant activity in rats [
42]. The concentration of eucalyptol in the EO of hemp from the same region was reported to be n.d.–1.6% in nine wild hemps, and n.d.–2.4% in registered cultivars Carmagnola, Sequieni, Helena, Simba, Spic, and Bacalmas [
29].
2.2.6. β-(Z)-Ocimene and β-(E)-Ocimene Concentration
The concentration of
β-(
Z)-ocimene (acyclic monoterpene) in the control EO was 1.8%, and its ranges in the EO fractions were 0.00–2.7% and 0.96–4.1% in the nonground and ground materials, respectively (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3,
Table 3). Its concentration was the highest in the 80–120 min DT fraction of the ground material (
Table 3). Apparently, this is a genetic trait, as this constituent was not detected in the EO of nine other registered industrial hemp cultivars [
29]. Interestingly, in a previous study, this constituent was found in most of the wild hemps in the region, ranging from n.d. to 0.174% of the oil [
29].
The concentration of
β-(
E)-ocimene (another acyclic monoterpene) in the control EO was 8.85% and ranged in 2.3–15.3% and 9.98–17.6% in the ground and nonground materials, respectively (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3). Its highest concentration was in the 5–10 min DT fraction of the ground material.
β-(
E)-Ocimene has been reported by other authors [
17,
43]. Recently, this compound was also found in the wild hemp EO and ranged from n.d. to 1.63%, but it was not detected in the EO of 8 other registered industrial hemp cultivars [
29].
2.2.7. β-Caryophyllene
β-Caryophyllene concentration in the control EO was 9.1%, which was low compared with its concentration in the EO of other registered cultivars grown in the same location [
29]. In the latter report, the concentration of
β-caryophyllene was 15.4–26.8% in wild hemps, and 25–40% in eight registered hemp cultivars, and 6.5–7.5% in the EO of U.S. hemp strain grown for commercial production of CBD [
29]. Apparently, different cultivars can accumulate and yield vastly different concentrations of
β-caryophyllene even when they are grown in the same location and under the same agronomic practices. Overall,
β-caryophyllene in the EO of this study was within previously reported ranges [
20,
27,
43,
44].
In this study,
β-caryophyllene concentration ranges in the EO fractions were 8.3–37.7% and 5.4–12.8% in the nonground and ground materials, respectively (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3). Its highest concentration was found in the 80–120 min DT fraction of the nonground material (
Supplementary Table S2,
Table 3). Its concentration generally increased in later DT fractions (
Table 3).
β-Caryophyllene, bicyclic sesquiterpene, is one of the major hemp EO constituents, be it from industrial hemp (grain and fiber) [
38], US strains grown for non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG [
29], or in the drug-type (marijuana strains) [
34,
45]. This study demonstrated that while the concentration of
β-caryophyllene was 8–10% in the control hemp EO; a 20%
β-caryophyllene rich EO can be produced by collecting the EO in the 80–120 DT. This compound is a constituent of many other EOs and is known as a dietary cannabinoid; it can bind with high affinity to the CB2 cannabinoid receptor in peripheral tissues [
44].
2.2.17. α-Bisabolol
The concentration of
α-bisabolol, monocyclic sesquiterpenoid, was 1.33% in the control EO, its concentrations in the EO fractions were n.d.–2.63 in the nonground material and n.d.–1.68 in the ground fractions (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3,
Table 5). Generally, grinding reduced the amount of
α-bisabolol in the EO, and its concentration increased with in later sampling times. Therefore, its concentration was the highest in the 80–120 min DT fraction of the nonground material (
Table 5).
α-Bisabolol was reported in commercial hemp EO [
17]. The concentration of
α-bisabolol in hemp EO from the same region were 0.1–2.8% in wild hemps, and from n.d. to 6.7% in eight other registered hemp cultivars [
29]. The concentration of
α-bisabolol in the EO of cv. Carmagnola Selezionata was 0.4–0.5% of the relative peak area [
17], and below 1% in 17 commercial EOs [
19].
2.2.18. Monoterpenes
As expected, most of the monoterpenes were eluted early in the distillation process and therefore, their concentrations were the highest in the initial DT fraction, and gradually decreased in the later fractions (
Table 5). The concentration of the monoterpenes in the control EO was 44.4%, which was within the concentration range of monoterpenes (31% and 83% of the total peak area) identified in 17 commercial hemp EO [
19] and their concentration (around 41%) in hemp cv. Futura 75 EO [
21].
The monoterpenes concentration in the EO fractions was 12.9–76.9% and 54.5–83.9% in the nonground and ground materials, respectively. Grinding increased the amount of monoterpenes in the EO. The amount of monoterpenes was 44.9% in the control EO. The highest concentration of monoterpenes was found in the 0–5 and 5–10 min DT fractions of the ground material. The results showed that the total concentration of monoterpenes in hemp EO could be significantly modified by grinding and distillation time. The total amount of monoterpenes in the EO of other hemps from the same region was reported to be from n.d. in two wild hemps to 8.0% in other wild hemps, and 1.4–13.5% in eight registered hemp cultivars [
29]. Total monoterpenes in nine drug-type varieties of hemp were 0.5–8.4% in dry flowers [
34], however, this cannot be readily related to their potential concentration in the EO.
2.2.19. Sesquiterpenes
Converse trends were observed with the amount of sesquiterpenes. The amount of sesquitepenes was 46.9% in the control EO, and their concentration ranges in the EO fractions were 21.1–80.3% and 13.7–42.3% in the nonground and ground materials, respectively. Grinding decreased the amount of sesquiterpenes in the EO fractions, while later sampling times increased it. Therefore, the highest amount of sesquiterpenes was found in the 80–120 min DT of nonground material (
Table 5). The amount of total sesquiterpenes in hemp EO from the same region was 69.7–89.1% in 8 new hemp breeding lines, and 75.5–79.2% in eight other registered hemp cultivars [
29]. Sesquiterpenes were reported to be around 57% in the EO of cv. Futura 75 [
21]. Another recent study found the sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes had similar concentration in two out of 17 commercial hemp oils, and sesquiterpenes were higher than monoterpenes in additional two of the 17 hemp EOs [
19]. Greater concentration of sesquiterpenes in hemp EO is an indication of aging [
19]. In another study, sesquiterpenes were between 29 and 48% of the EO depending on the pretreatment and extraction methods [
28].
2.2.20. α-Pinene and Terpinolene
The concentrations of
α-pinene and terpinolene were greater in the EO fractions from the ground material compared with the ones in the nonground material (
Table 6). The concentrations of both constituents were much higher in the initial DT EO fractions compared with the control EO. This was expected because the two constituents are known to be some of the most volatile ones in hemp EO [
28]. While the concentration of
α-pinene in the control EO was 3.2%, grinding of the material resulted in 14.8% of
α-pinene overall in all fractions.
α-Pinene was identified as one of the determinants of hemp scent emitting by the plant [
43]. The concentration of
α-pinene in this study (14.9% of the total oil) was similar to its concentrations reported in the literature: 11% [
22], 17.0% [
36], and 11–17% [
20]. In a recent study on registered cultivars in the same region,
α-pinene in the EO varied from n.d. to 8.4% [
29], indicating that genetics plays a key role in the accumulation of this bicyclic monoterpene in hemp. The results from this study on
α-pinene are similar to previous reports following either steam or hydrodistillation [
27], although a bit lower concentration of
α-pinene have been reported [
20,
36]. Total sesquiterpenes in nine drug-type hemp varieties was 0.16–0.93% in dried flowers [
34].
2.2.21. Cannabinoids
The sum of the cannabinoids identified in this study (
δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabicyclol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene,
δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol,
δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol)) was 6.58% in the control EO; cannabinoids concentration in the EO fractions were 0–5.97% and 0–6.12% from the nonground and ground material, respectively. These results suggest a likelihood for some type of conversion happening during the 180 min non-stop distillation that results in higher cannabinoids content in the EO. It has been known that THC and CBD are not formed enzymatically in hemp; they are decarboxylated forms of CBDA and THCA, and postharvest processing plays a significant role in their formation [
12]. In this study, cannabinoids were eluted late in the distillation process, consequently resulting in larger amount in the later collected EO fractions of both ground and nonground materials. The highest concentration of cannabinoids was found in the 80–120 min DT fraction of the ground material (
Table 5). The amount of total cannabinoids in the EO of hemps from the same region were 9.9–20.7% in eight registered hemp cultivars [
29]. Total cannabinoids in a study of 17 industrial hemp EOs was low [
19]. The amount of total cannabinoids in nine drug-type varieties of hemp ranged between 12.2 and 28.4% on dry matter in flowers [
34]. However, these results were in dry matter (dried hemp flowers) and not in EO.
2.2.22. Cannabidiol (CBD) Concentration in EO Fractions
Grinding resulted in a marginally significant decrease in the CBD concentration of the EO (
Table 6). Most of the CBD came out later in the distillation process; therefore, its highest concentration (5–6%) was in the 120–180 min DT fraction. The concentration of CBD in the control EO was 5.67%, while its concentration in the EO fractions was n.d.–5.27% and n.d.–6.124 in the nonground and ground materials, respectively. In a recent study on the EO from wild hemps and registered cultivars, the concentration of CBD in the EO of wild hemp was 6.9–52.4%, and CBD in the EO of the registered cultivars was 7.1–25.4%, and its content in one CBD strain from U.S. varied from 7.4 to 8.8% [
29]. The concentration of CBD in 24 cultivars of industrial hemp varied from 0.58 to 1.83% of dried biomass [
46]. Cannabidiol concentration in 17 commercial EOs was low, below 0.4% of the total oil [
19].
Cannabinoids are of significant interest recently, especially non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids such as CBD, as the market expanded dramatically [
11]. Recently, there has been a flash of research articles on CBD effects on human health [
9,
11,
47]. Previous research has shown that CBD has anti-epileptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-psychotic properties [
48] and against neurodegenerative diseases [
9]. A recent review summarized the various molecular pathways that cause positive effects of CBD, especially with respect to the major neurodegenerative disorders [
9]. The author elaborated on published data that support the notion of CBD as a potential pharmacological tool for the treatment of such disorders, and CBD safety as a potential therapeutic agent [
9].
2.2.23. THC (δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol) Concentration in the EO Fractions
The concentration of THC (
δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol or Dronabinol) was 0.142% in the control EO, and its ranges were n.d.–0.11% and n.d.–0.1% in the fractions from the nonground and ground material, respectively (
Supplementary Tables S2 and S3). This study showed that THC-free EO can be obtained if the EO distillation is limited to 120 min. However, this will also reduce the amount of CBD and sesquiterpenes in the EO. The concentration of THC is regulated internationally, e.g., most countries require that the THC concentration in hemp be below 0.3% and in some countries such as France it must be below 0.2% dry weight (Regulation EC No. 1124/2008, Annex XII). In the U.S., hemp with THC > 0.3% on dry weight basis is considered marijuana. Registered industrial hemp cultivars (varieties) differ in their THC concentration, but generally, it is very low. In a study of 24 industrial hemp cultivars, THC varied from 0.03 (in cv. USO-13) to 0.75% (in cv. Secuieni 1) in dry matter [
46]. The THC concentration in the EO of hemps from the same region was from n.d. to 3.4% in wild hemps, and from n.d. in the EO of cvs. Bacalmas, CS, Spic, Dioica, and Helena, to 0.42% in Sequieni, 0.76% in cv. Simba, and 0.96% in cv. Carmagnola [
29]. The THCA concentration in drug-type hemp may be very high, e.g., THCA was 3.2–26.3% dry weight of flowers from varieties Blackberry Kush, Black Lime, Canna Tsu, Cherry Chem, Valley Fire, Mamma Thai, Sour Diesel, Terple, and White Cookies [
34]. However, the CBD and CBDA concentrations in the above varieties were very low, mostly below 1% with the exception of Canna Tsu [
34].
2.2.24. Concluding Discussion on Terpenes and Cannabinoids Concentration in the EO Fractions
Hemp control EO and the hemp EO fractions in this study had differential chemical composition, they both are mixture of terpenes and cannabinoids, probably non-psychotropic due to the very low concentrations of THC; however they may possess various types of bioactivity including in humans, due to “entourage-effect” as described previously [
2,
11,
12]. This study demonstrated that EO fractions can be obtained from a single hemp cultivar by modulating grinding before distillation and fractions generation in time. Indeed, this study provided hemp EOs with greater diversity of mixture of terpenes and cannabinoids compared with the 17 commercially available hemp EO from a number of hemp cultivars: Antàl (EO1), Bielobrzerski (EO2), Carmagnola (EO3), Carmagnola CS (EO4), Dioica 88 (EO5), Fedora 17 (EO6), Ferimon (EO7), Finola (EO8), Futura 75(EO9), KC Virtus (EO10), KC Zuzana (EO11), Markant (EO12), Santhica 27 (EO13), Santhica 70 (EO14), Tiborszallasi (EO15), Tygra (EO1) and Zenith (EO17) [
19].
2.2.25. Antimicrobial Activity of the Hemp EO Fractions
In this study, standard antibiotics cefoxitin for Gram-negative (G−) bacteria and gentamicin for Gram-positive (G+) bacteria, and fluconazole for yeast were used as positive control: The G− microorganisms included: SE—Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, PA—Pseudomonas aeroginosa, YE—Yersinia eneterocolitica. The G+ microorganisms included in this study were SA—Staphylococcus subsp. aureus, EF—Enterococcus faecalis, SP—Streptococcus pneumonia. Finally, the yeast used in this study included CA—Candida albicans, CK—Candida krusei, and CT—Candida tropicalis.
The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results that show the significance of the main and interaction effects of Material (2 levels: Ground and Nonground) and Distillation time (DT; 6 levels: 0–5 min, 5–10 min, 10–20 min, 20–80 min, 80–120 min, and 120–160 min) on nine these antimicrobial activities (SA, EF, SP, PA, YE, SE, CA, CK, CT) are presented in
Table 7. The results indicate that the interaction effect was not significant on SA and SE, but the main effect of Material was significant on SA, and the main effect DT was significant on SA and SE. The interaction effect of Material and DT was significant on EF, PA, SP, YE, CA, CK, and CT (
Table 7).
Comparison of the means showed that the 20–80 min DT EO fraction from ground material had the highest antimicrobial activity against EF, SP, and PA (
Table 8). The highest activity against YE was demonstrated at the 20–80 min EO fraction from the nonground material, the highest activity against CA and CK was found in the 0–5 min EO fraction from the nonground material, and the highest activity against CT was found with the use of the 5–10 min DT EO fraction from ground material (
Table 8).
As positive control, the antibiotics gentamycin for G
+, cefoxitin for G
− and fluconazole for yeasts were used. Inhibition zones of the antibiotics were generally greater in comparison with inhibition zones of the essential oil fractions. In this study, the antibiotics had greater effect on bacteria than on yeasts. The absence of outer cell membrane makes the bacteria vulnerable to the effect of antibiotics. This argument is supported by previous reports on G
+ and G
− bacteria and their resistance to antibiotics [
49,
50]. The outer cell membrane present in G
− bacteria is thought to play an important role as a protective mechanism against antimicrobial agents and antibiotic selection pressure [
51].
Overall, the EO fractions from the ground material had higher antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms compared to those from nonground materials (
Table 9). The highest activity against SA was recorded by the use of either the 5–10 min or 20–80 min DT EO fraction and the highest activity against SE was recorded by the use of the 10–20 min DT EO fraction (from either ground or nonground materials) (
Table 9).
The antimicrobial activity results may be due to significant differences in EO composition between the different EO fractions. The effects may be a direct result of a single constituent, although in most cases the observed bioactivity effect has been shown to be a result of the synergistic effects of 2 or more constituents [
52].
Hemp extract using organic solvent exhibited very good antimicrobial activity against
S. aureus [
53]. The hemp leaves extracts fraction exhibited activity both against G
+ and G
− bacteria and against the fungi. However, the aqueous extract did not show any antimicrobial activity [
54]. Researchers have reported antibacterial activity of cannabinoids against a wide range of bacteria [
55,
56,
57]. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts of hemp seeds did not show any antibacterial activity against
P. mirabilis [
58]. In the results of Nissen et al. [
20] promising inhibitory activities of hemp oils against G
+ opportunistic/pathogens such as
Clostridium spp. and
Enterococcus spp. was shown. The results of Iseppi et al. [
19] showed a good antibacterial activity of six hemp EOs against the G
+ bacteria, thus suggesting that hemp EO can inhibit or reduce bacterial proliferation and it can be a valid support to reduce microorganism contamination, especially in the food processing field.