Quantitation of Phytocannabinoid Oils Using the Agilent Infinity II 1260 Prime/InfinityLab LC/MSD iQ LC/MS System

Importance of Phytocannabinoid Quantitation

Determining the concentration of THC, CBD and related phytocannabinoids in hemp and cannabis products is essential for regulatory compliance, consumer safety and product consistency.

Objectives and Study Overview

This application note evaluates the use of an Agilent Infinity II 1260 Prime LC System coupled with an InfinityLab LC/MSD iQ to quantify 11 key phytocannabinoids in CBD oil formulations for pets. The aim was to demonstrate chromatographic separation, mass confirmation and low detection limits.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Sample Preparation: 100 µL of homogenized oil diluted in hexane and ethanol with a final 1 000-fold dilution, followed by 0.45 µm filtration.
• Chromatography: Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (3.0 × 100 mm, 1.9 µm), 0.5 mL/min flow rate, quaternary gradient of water, acetonitrile, methanol and 0.1% formic acid.
• Detection: InfinityLab LC/MSD iQ operated in positive ESI mode with selected ion monitoring (SIM) for target m/z values and diode array detection at 228/270 nm.
• Software: Agilent OpenLab CDS version 2.4 for data acquisition and processing.

Main Results and Discussion

The method achieved baseline separation of all 11 cannabinoids with calibration linearity (R2 ≥ 0.990) over 0.1–50 µg/mL. Limits of detection ranged from 0.10 to 0.25 µg/mL and limits of quantitation from 0.25 to 0.50 µg/mL. Analysis of six commercial pet CBD oils revealed varying levels of CBD, CBDA, THC and minor cannabinoids, with total CBD and THC percentages meeting regulatory thresholds.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Combining high-resolution LC with mass spectrometric confirmation improves specificity over UV-only detection, minimizes interference from coeluting compounds and ensures reliable potency testing for regulatory, forensic and quality-control laboratories.

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging developments include automated sample preparation workflows, higher-throughput LC/MS configurations, expanded phytocannabinoid panels and integration with advanced data analytics. Harmonized global regulations will further drive adoption in food, nutraceutical, forensic and pharmaceutical sectors.

Conclusion

The Agilent Infinity II 1260 Prime LC System paired with LC/MSD iQ delivers robust, sensitive and selective quantitation of phytocannabinoids in complex oil matrices, supporting diverse testing requirements in regulated and research environments.

References

1. Grand View Research. Industrial Hemp Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product, Application & Region, 2018–2025. (Published June 2018, accessed March 20, 2019).