Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41787571›Full record

ArticleJournal of cannabis research2026

Not what it seems: analytical validation and label accuracy of commercial CBD oils using HPTLC.

Keilor Morales Alfaro, Gabriel Zamora, Manuel Sandoval-Barrantes, Ana Francis Carballo Arce, Jose A Rodriguez-Corrales

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cannabis research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Keilor Morales AlfaroBiorefinery Research and Innovation Center (CIIBio), School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Heredia, 40101, Costa Rica.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-7314-3375
Gabriel ZamoraCentro de Investigaciones Apícolas Tropicales (CINAT), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Heredia, 40104, Costa Rica.
Manuel Sandoval-BarrantesBiorefinery Research and Innovation Center (CIIBio), School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Heredia, 40101, Costa Rica.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2946-8016
Ana Francis Carballo ArceBiorefinery Research and Innovation Center (CIIBio), School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Heredia, 40101, Costa Rica.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5379-8912
Jose A Rodriguez-CorralesBiorefinery Research and Innovation Center (CIIBio), School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Heredia, 40101, Costa Rica. jose.rodriguez.corrales@una.ac.cr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3991-6898

Funding

Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica SIA 0531-24 and 0084-25
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The rapid growth of the cannabidiol (CBD) market has raised concerns about product labeling accuracy and quality control. This study aimed to validate a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method and apply it to analyze CBD content in commercial oils and e-liquids available in Costa Rica. The HPTLC method was validated following guidelines of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Performance parameters assessed included linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, and limits of detection (LOD), and quantification (LOQ). After validation, the method was used to quantify CBD and screen for other phytocannabinoids such as CBG, CBN, and Δ⁹-THC in 5 commercial oils and 3 e-liquids. The method showed excellent linearity (R² > 0.9998), precision (%CV < 2%), and accuracy (99–102% recovery), while successfully detecting CBD concentrations and qualitatively identifying other cannabinoids. Notably, some commercial samples showed CBD over- and underlabeling, and tentative presence of Δ⁹-THC. These findings reveal inconsistencies between the labeled and actual CBD content in several products, mirroring international trends, and represent the first documented evidence of mislabeling in hemp-based products in Costa Rica. The validated HPTLC method offers a cost-effective tool for regulatory surveillance, enabling preliminary cannabinoid profiling and quantification. Its application can support public health policies and consumer protection through improved product transparency and compliance with Costa Rica’s national hemp regulations.

Indexed as

CannabidiolHempHPTLCLabeling accuracyPhytocannabinoids

Identifiers

PMID41787571
PMCPMC13072474

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.