Phenolic compounds in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Industrijska konoplja (Cannabis sativa L.) je vsestransko uporabna rastlina. Človeštvo jo goji že dolgo časa, saj je nekoč predstavljala pomemben vir vlaken, ki so se uporabljala za različne namene, od tkanja perila do izdelovanja jader. V današnjem obdobju je vse večji poudarek na prehranski vrednosti njenih semen, saj so bogat vir beljakovin in esencialnih maščobnih kislin. Vsebujejo tudi številna makro- in mikrohranila, poleg tega pa so prisotne tudi antioksidativne snovi, kamor uvrščamo tudi fenolne spojine. Olje semen industrijske konoplje je prepoznano kot funkcionalno živilo. Rezultati raziskav potrjujejo, da so med fenolnimi spojinami v semenih oziroma njihovem olju, prisotni predvsem flavonoidi. Ti vključujejo tudi posebno skupino tako imenovanih kanflavinov, ki so spojine značilne za industrijsko konopljo. Ugotovili so, da so poleg flavonoidov prisotni tudi nekateri predstavniki stilbenov in lignanov. Omenjene spojine niso samo dobri antioksidanti, temveč izkazujejo tudi druge pozitivne učinke.Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a widely used plant. It has been grown for a very long time, because it used to be an important source of fibres which were used for different purposes, from making clothes to sails. Nowadays its seeds are becoming more and more popular, mainly for their nutritional value, as they represent an important source of protein and essential fatty acids. They contain many beneficial macro- and micro-nutrients, alongside antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds. The oil of hemp seeds has been recognized as functional food. The results of different studies show that among phenolic compounds present in seeds or oil, flavonoids are the most abundant. They include a special group of so called cannflavins, which are unique to hemp. It has been found that beside flavonoids, some representatives of stilbenes and lignans are also present. All of these compounds aren\u27t just good antioxidants, but have also shown some other beneficial effects