Hemp is a low-input and renewal crop, which can replace corn or sunflower for the spring sowing in our territory, and is a crop of choice in the rotation of an organic farm (Grassi, 2016).
Hemp is a plant with multiple uses because seeds, stems and inflorescences are a source of raw materials of absolute interest for the food, textile, technical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Currently, the interest of the industry is mainly towards the oil, which is used for both cosmetics and food uses as it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid (Ω-6) and α-linolenic acid (Ω-3) (Callaway, 2004; Porto et al., 2015). Nevertheless, there is also a growing interest in the protein component of hemp seed, thanks to its high digestibility and to the composition of essential amino acids. Protein hydrolysates of hemp seed have proven hypotensive and / or antioxidant effects (Girgih et al, 2013; 2014). In fact, hemp seed can be considered to all intents and purposes a non-leguminous protein seed (Ajello et al, 2016).
References:
- Aiello et al., 2016: Proteomic characterization of hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) (G. Aiello, E. Fasoli, G. Boschin, C. Lammi, C. Zanoni, A. Citterio and A. Arnoldi). Journal of Proteomics 147 (2016) 187-196;
- Callaway JC, 2004: Hempseed as a nutritional resource: An overview. Euphytica 140: 65–72, 2004;
- Da Porto et al, 2015: Da Porto C, Decorti D, Natolino A. Potential oil yield, fatty acid composition, and oxidation stability of the hempseed oil from four Cannabis sativa L. cultivars. J Diet Suppl. Mar;12(1): 1-10, 2015;
- Girgih et al, 2013: Reverse-phase HPLC separation of hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) protein hydrolysate produced peptide fractions with enhanced antioxidant capacity (A.T. Girgih, C.C. Udenigwe, R.E. Aluko) Plant Foods Hum. Nutr., 68 (2013), pp. 39-46;
- Girgih et al, 2014: Structural and functional characterization of hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) protein-derived antioxidant and antihypertensive peptides (A.T. Girgih, R. He, S. Malomo, M. Offengenden, J. Wu, R.E. Aluko) J. Funct. Foods, 6 (2014), pp. 384-394;
- Grassi, 2016: Audizione CREA Senato 9a Commissione Agricoltura 23.02.2016 Leggi sulla canapa industriale d.d.l. 2144 – Brevi note su coltura.