Three-dimensional characterization of industrial hemp plant tissues based on X-ray micro-computed tomography

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasingly valued for production of functional food ingredients and nutraceutical products with broad applications in human nutrition. Its nutrient-rich seeds are of particular interest for their nutritional profile [1]. Moreover, inflorescences and trichomes provide source of nutrient-rich proteins, bioactive compounds, and functional materials for food formulations. Agronomic practices, environmental factors and genotype considerably influence the seed's nutritional profile, thus continued interdisciplinary research is needed to standardize quality across supply chains. X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) combined with 3D image analysis is an emerging not-destructive technique in high resolution plant phenotyping [2,3]. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the contribution that X-ray micro-CT combined with 3D image analysis can provide to a tissue-specific characterization of hemp seeds, as well as to the quantification of trichomes on hemp leaves or inflorescences. Volume ratios between different seed tissues, characterized in detail using specific morphometric parameters, were determined. The density and morphological characteristics of trichomes of two cultivars were accurately compared. Although the results shown in this study represent only an example, the identified morphometric traits can be determined for many different varieties to support high quality hemp genotype selection.