Abstract
Evaluation of 12 commercially available products of Cannabis sativa L. was performed to find similarities and differences in their composition. The contents of metallic elements determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) made it possible to order microelements as follows: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu. As for the contents of macroelements, the pattern was Ca > K > Mg > Na. Analyses of hemp samples were also performed via assays of their phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid by UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity was determined based on the Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), Cupric-Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), and ABTS Radical-Scavenging Activity. We concluded from the application of cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) that several hemp samples (for example, the sample from Italy) were well-separated from the others due to their different chemical composition. In conclusion, the results achieved with the statistical methods are helpful in interpreting the results obtained for hemp samples and reveal characteristic tendencies among the investigated samples due to their contents of metals, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid concentrations, and antioxidant properties.