Analysis of Cannabinoids by HPLC Using a Post-Column Reaction with Fast Blue B Salt.

Abstract

Three cannabinoids, D9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), were detected with an HPLC method using a post-column reaction with Fast Blue B salt (FBB). The detection limit of THC was 0.1 ng, which is ca. 1000 times more sensitive than TLC using FBB coloration. The calibration curve of THC was linear in the range 0.01-100 mg/ml, and the intermediate precisions of within-run and between-run assays were 0.93% and 1.12%, respectively. The proposed method is highly selective and quantitative.