LCMS analysis of phospholipids for the degumming optimization for hemp/cannabis extracts

Monday, May 1, 2023

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM MDT

Room: 403

Presenting Author(s)

Christopher Hudalla, PhD.

President/CSO
Proverde Laboratories
Milford, MA, United States

Co-Author(s)

CR

Chris Riley

Chemist
ProVerde Laboratories, Inc.
Milford, Massachusetts, United States
AA

Andrew Aubin

Laboratory Director
ProVerde Laboratories, Inc.
Milford, Massachusetts, United States
MB

Malcolm Boyce

Partner/CTO
Pioneer Mgmt and Consulting, Axtell Labs
Crested Butte, Colorado, United States
WL

William Lanier

CTO
Tops Tech LLC, Chemtor
Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract: Phospholipids are a key component of all cell membranes, and as such, are a major constituent of all plant based oils. Removal of the phospholipids, also known as “degumming", is a common practice in processing oils to improve their physical stability and facilitate additional processing activities. Degumming typically is achieved by the addition of acid into the oil, which transforms the non-hydratable phospholipids into hydratable lipids. These hydratable phospholipids can then be removed by subsequent water washes.

The degumming process can also play a critical role in the processing of hemp/cannabis extracts. An aqueous method for the purification of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) from Cannabis sativa L. needs to address the removal of hydratable phospholipids. Historically the quantification of phospholipids has relied on undescriptive analytics that solely measure the concentration of phosphorus. In order to quantify the removal of specific classes of phospholipids, a method employing liquid chromatography with triple-quad mass spectrometric detection (LCMS) was developed to identify and quantify the individual phospholipid constituents, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phospatidic acid (PA). This information was used to optimize the subsequent removal of phospholipids by class during water washing under a broad range of pH conditions. Understanding the appropriate parameters and conditions for removal of specific classes of phospholipids, permits optimization of degumming processes, based on the precise lipid content of that oil. The methodology presented here may show additional utility for the process optimization of other vegetable based oils.