A team of researchers has broken down cannabis plant samples looking for the causes of their bad smell
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himA team of researchers has broken down cannabis plant samples looking for the causes of their bad smell
The inflorescences of the hemp (or cannabis) plant are characterized by an unmistakable and particularly penetrating smell, but where does it come from? A new study recently published shows that there are many substances that give this plant its characteristic smell - well over 200. Most of those isolated by scientists belong to a group of compounds called terpenoid: these are biomolecules very widespread in the natural world, responsible for most of the odors (pleasant or not) of the plant world - from the smell of wood to the scent of flowers.
Terpenoids are present in varying concentrations in different hemp species and can, alone, contribute up to 50% to the final aroma of the plant: for example, high concentrations of myrcene and β-caryophyllene (terpenoids also present in other plants, such as lemongrass) give the indica cannabis a strong, pungent, fuel-like aroma, while high amounts of terpinolene and limonene (as in citrus plants) give the c a woody and citrus aroma. If there were only the presence of terpenoids to characterize the smell of hemp, then there is no explanation why this plant actually "stinks" - even for lovers of the smell of cannabis it is hard to say that it is a pleasant scent.
This is because other chemicals also come into play that somehow pollute the pleasant smell emanating from the terpenoids and make it more like a stink. To try to understand what substances it was, the scientists looked for compounds in the composition of hemp plants volatile chemicals based on sulfur (in English volatile sulfur compounds, or VSC) - to be clear, those that give Brussels sprouts and other winter vegetables (but also our breath as soon as we wake up) a not exactly pleasant smell, or that are released by skunks in defense phase.
@ ACS Pubblications
The intuition was right: numerous VSCs were discovered in the hemp samples analyzed, responsible for the bad smell of the plant. But not only that: using a bespoke 2D gas chromatography system equipped with three different types of detectors, the researchers observed that cannabis strains classified as particularly pungent by a group of "sniffers" also had higher concentrations of VSC. One of these compounds, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, has been associated by both empirical and laboratory tests with the smelliest hemp sample: it has an intense, sulfuric and smelly aroma even in extremely dilute concentrations, and gives the plant an unpleasant wet cardboard smell.
This study could open up very interesting scenarios: in fact, the VSCs responsible for the smell of cannabis are surprisingly similar in structure to some compounds present in garlic that can have anticancer and cardioprotective effects. This could represent a new avenue in the medical use of the hemp plant.
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