This thesis project will study the recovery and valorization of the organic waste connected with the production of C. sativa essential oil by steam distillation of the apical part of industrial hemp plant. Under the pharmacological point of view, the most valuable components of the plant are cannabinoids which are not sufficiently volatile to be distilled and remain in the solid wet residue still after the removal of the essential oil. The object was to develop an extraction method to recover cannabinoids (in particular cannabidiol, the predominant component) from such waste, and to explore opportunities to further transform cannabinoids into more active and valuable compounds, employing chemo-enzymatic derivatizations. The final aim was to maximize the recovery of valuable compounds, before disposing of the solid as vegetal organic waste or spreading it directly in the cultivated fields, a currently employed standard practice for such waste, in order to take advantage more effectively of the structural richness and biological activity of the molecules in the waste material, aligning with the principles of circular economy.
In questo progetto di tesi è stato studiato il recupero e la valorizzazione di scarti organici provenienti dalla produzione di oli essenziale di C. sativa tramite distillazione in corrente di vapore delle parti aeree della pianta di canapa industriale. Dal punto di vista farmacologico, i componenti più preziosi sono i cannabinoidi, che non possono essere recuperati per distillazione data la loro bassa volatilità, e che rimangono nel residuo umido solido in caldaia dopo la completa rimozione dell’olio. L’obiettivo è stato quello di sviluppare un metodo di estrazione per il recupero dei cannabinoidi (in particolare il cannabidiolo, il componente predominante) da tale scarto, e di esplorare diverse opportunità di convertirli ulteriormente in composti a più elevato valore aggiunto tramite trasformazioni chemo-enzimatiche. Lo scopo finale è il recupero dei composti utilizzabili prima dello smaltimento dello scarto come residuo vegetale organico o del suo spargimento in campo come concime, pratiche comuni per questo tipo di residuo, sfruttando meglio la ricchezza strutturale e l’attività biologica delle molecole nel residuo, in linea coi principi dell’economia circolare.
Valorization of industrial hemp waste from essential oil production by chemo-enzymatic routes
Nebuloni, Mario
2021/2022
Abstract
This thesis project will study the recovery and valorization of the organic waste connected with the production of C. sativa essential oil by steam distillation of the apical part of industrial hemp plant. Under the pharmacological point of view, the most valuable components of the plant are cannabinoids which are not sufficiently volatile to be distilled and remain in the solid wet residue still after the removal of the essential oil. The object was to develop an extraction method to recover cannabinoids (in particular cannabidiol, the predominant component) from such waste, and to explore opportunities to further transform cannabinoids into more active and valuable compounds, employing chemo-enzymatic derivatizations. The final aim was to maximize the recovery of valuable compounds, before disposing of the solid as vegetal organic waste or spreading it directly in the cultivated fields, a currently employed standard practice for such waste, in order to take advantage more effectively of the structural richness and biological activity of the molecules in the waste material, aligning with the principles of circular economy.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Nebuloni_Thesis_article_format_2021_vFinal.pdf
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Descrizione: Thesis
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Nebuloni_Executive_Summary_vFinal.pdf
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Descrizione: Executive Summary
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/186940