Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., Cannabaceae) is an ancient cultivated plant originating from Central Asia and historically has been a multi-use crop valued for its fiber, food, and medicinal uses. Various oriental and Asian cultures kept records of its production and numerous uses. Due to the similarities between industrial hemp (fiber and grain) and the narcotic/medical type of Cannabis, the production of industrial hemp was prohibited in most countries, wiping out centuries of learning and genetic resources. In the past two decades, most countries have legalized industrial hemp production, prompting a significant amount of research on the health benefits of hemp and hemp products. Current research is yet to verify the various health claims of the numerous commercially available hemp products. Hence, this review aims to compile recent advances in the science of industrial hemp, with respect to its use as value-added functional food ingredients/nutraceuticals and health benefits, while also highlighting gaps in our current knowledge and avenues of future research on this high-value multi-use plant for the global food chain.

Currently, there are increased interests in growing grain and fiber hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as well as in large-scale hemp products. Cannabis has been grown/utilized for thousands of years as a fiber, grain, and drug/medicinal plant. However, the strict control of cannabis cultivation to combat illegal use, the spread of new yarns and oilseeds, and the advent of cheap synthetic fibers caused a decreased/eliminated hemp production. Hemp has been banned in most of the world for more than seven decades; it missed out on the Green Revolution and the adoption of new technologies and varieties, creating a knowledge gap. After the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bill in the USA, hemp became legal and the land grand universities launched research programs. The ability to utilize the entire plant for multiple purposes creates opportunity for the market to value hemp products. Hemp production technology varies depending on the type of hemp cultivated (grain, fiber, or cannabinoids), soil characteristics, and environmental factors. Hemp has the potential to be a very sustainable and ecologically benign crop. Hemp roots have a significant potential for absorbing and storing heavy metals such as lead, nickel, cadmium, and other harmful substances. In addition, hemp has been proven to be an excellent carbon trap and biofuel crop. Hemp has the ability to successfully suppress weeds, and it is generally regarded a pesticide-free crop. The purpose of this paper is to examine historic and recent industrial hemp (grain and fiber) literature, with a focus on hemp agronomy and utilization.

Laurel, Laurus nobilis L. is an evergreen plant belonging to the Lauraceae family, native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. This is the first report on the composition and bioactivity of laurel essential oil (EO) from Bulgaria. The oil yield was 0.78%, 0.80%, and 3.25% in the fruits, twigs, and leaves, respectively. The main constituents in the fruit EO were 1,8-cineole (33.3%), α-terpinyl acetate (10.3%), α-pinene (11.0%), β-elemene (7.5%), sabinene (6.3%), β-phellandrene (5.2%), bornyl acetate (4.4%), and camphene (4.3%); those in the twig EO were 1,8-cineole (48.5%), α-terpinyl acetate (13.1%), methyl eugenol (6.6%), β-linalool (3.8%), β-pinene (3.4%), sabinene (3.3%) and terpinene-4-ol (3.3%); and the ones in the leaf EO were 1,8-cineole (41.0%), α-terpinyl acetate (14.4%), sabinene (8.8%), methyl eugenole (6.0%), β-linalool (4.9%), and α-terpineol (3.1%). The antibacterial and antifungal properties of laurel EOs were examined according to the agar well diffusion method. The leaf EO showed antibacterial and antifungal activities against almost all strains of the microorganisms tested, whereas the twig EO was only able to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 were the bacterial strains that showed the highest resistance to the laurel EO. The results can benefit the EO industry and biopesticide development.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) aroma is an important attribute of tobacco quality and is influenced by a variety of minor chemical components, including carotenoid degradation products. The objectives of this work were to determine the content of the most important fragrance-shaping carotenoid degradation products in the essential oils (EOs) of the three types of Bulgarian tobacco—Oriental (OR), flue-cured Virginia (FCV), and Burley (BU)—and to compare them with other aromatic products from tobacco. The content of total carotenoids and β-carotene was highest in BU tobacco (22.23 and 20.34 mg/100 g DW, respectively), followed by OR (13.60 and 12.09 mg/100 g DW in variety “Plovdiv 7” (Pd7); 6.27 and 5.45 mg/100 g DW in “Krumovgrad” (Kr), and FCV (5.93 and 3.73 mg/100 g DW). EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation in an acidified medium, and the main aroma-impact compounds from carotenoid degradation (identified by GC-MS) were as follows: FCV-α-ionone (0.61 mg/100 g DW), dihydro-β-ionone (0.96 mg/100 g DW), β-damascenone (1.26 mg/100 g DW); BU-α-ionone (0.73 mg/100 g DW), dihydro-β-ionone (1.19 mg/100 g DW), β-damascenone (1.35 mg/100 g DW); OR(Kr)-α-ionone (0.20 mg/100 g DW), β-ionone (1.08 mg/100 g DW), dihydro-β-ionone (1.34 mg/100 g DW), β-damascenone (0.36 mg/100 g DW); OR(Pd7)-α-ionone (1.43 mg/100 g DW), dihydro-β-ionone (1.73 mg/100 g DW), β-damascenone (1.23 mg/100 g DW). Ionone and its derivatives were not identified in the aroma extraction products concrete, resinoid, or absolute. The results suggest that temperature, pH of the medium, process duration, and possibly other unknown factors affect carotenoid transformation. The study provides insight into the composition of tobacco EOs and may be of interest to the fragrance industry.

Lemongrass [Cymbopogon flexuosus (Steud.) Wats, (syn. Andropogon nardus var. flexuosus Hack; A. flexuosus Nees)] is one of the most widely grown essential oil plants in the world. Field experiments were conducted at Verona and Poplarville, MS, to evaluate the effects of N (0, 40, 80, and 160 kg N/ha) and S (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg S/ha) on lemongrass biomass productivity, essential oil content, yield, and oil composition. Overall, the essential oil content varied within 0.35 to 0.6% of the dried biomass. The major constituents were geranial (25–53%), neral (20–45%), caryophyllene oxide (1.3–7.2%), and t‐caryophyllene (0.3–2.2%). Biomass yields at Verona ranged from 9486 to 19,375 kg/ha, while oil yields ranged from 30 to 139 kg/ha. Overall, dry weight yields increased with the application of 80 kg N/ha relative to the 0 kg N/ha and with 160 kg of N/ha relative to the 0 and 40 kg N/ha treatments. At Poplarville, biomass yields varied from 8036 to 12,593 kg/ha, while oil yields ranged from 23.5 to 89.5 kg/ha. The application of N at 160 kg/ha at Poplarville increased dry weight yields relative to the N at 0 or 40 kg/ha rates, irrespective of the rate used for S. At Verona, within each S application rate, biomass yields were highest in Harvest 2, lower in Harvest 1, and the lowest in Harvest 3 (regrowth). The combined biomass yields of Harvest 1 and Harvest 3 would be lower, but oil yields would be higher compared to Harvest 2 (single‐harvest system). Lemongrass can be grown as an annual essential oil crop in the southeastern United States, with a potential for dual utilization: essential oil and lignocellulosic material for ethanol production.

Steam distillation was used for the isolation of Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Moldavian dragonhead) essential oil (DMEO). This aromatic herbaceous plant is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere regions and has been utilized in health-improving studies and applications. In addition to the DMEO, the hydrolate (DMH), a byproduct of the distillation process, was also collected. The DMEO and DMH were analyzed and compared in terms of their chemical composition, as well as their in vitro biological activities. The main component in DMEO was geranyl acetate, while geranial was dominant in DMH. The DMEO demonstrated better antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared with the DMH against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, which represent sources of food-borne illness at the global level. The DMEO and DMH show promise as antioxidant and antimicrobial additives to various products.