Herbal Research, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Comprehensive Utilization, and Quality Control of Hemp Seed: A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT Background Cannabis sativa L. is an annual herbaceous plant in the genus Cannabis of the family Cannabaceae. Hempseed, a traditional Chinese medicine, is the dried and ripe decorticated fruit of C. sativa L. It has a long history of medicinal use and belongs to the category of “both medicine and food.” The earliest record of hempseed as food can be found in “The Book of Rites” (Zhou Li), while its medicinal use was first documented in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica (Shennong Bencao Jing). Hempseed contains rich chemical components, such as fatty acids, cannabinoids, lignin amides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and proteins, among which fatty acids are the most abundant. Hempseed has the effects of moistening the intestines and relieving dryness, invigorating the middle‐jiao, and replenishing qi. It is often used for blood deficiency and body fluid deficiency, intestinal dryness, and constipation, and is an important drug for the treatment of functional constipation. Modern medicinal chemistry and pharmacological studies have shown that hempseed semen not only has a significant laxative effect but also possesses pharmacological effects such as anti‐inflammation, anti‐oxidation, anti‐tumor, analgesia, lipid‐lowering, and others. Objectives At present, the quality standards for hemp kernels have not yet established content control for single or whole components. This not only cannot fully guarantee the quality and safety of medicinal materials but also restricts the improvement of quality standards. We summarize the knowledge in this area with the aim of providing new ideas for the scientific application of cannabis and the integration of modern research and traditional medicine. Methods Relevant literature was retrieved from major scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The system collected and analyzed information related to the phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, comprehensive utilization, and quality control of hemp seeds. Results This article provides a review of the research on traditional Chinese medicine Ma Ren from the aspects of herbal research, phytochemistry, and pharmacology, and emphasizes the latest progress in the comprehensive utilization and quality control of hemp seeds. Conclusion Hemp seeds contain various bioactive compounds with broad pharmacological potential. They have shown potential in disease management and prevention and are increasingly being applied in the development of functional health products. At the same time, in the future, we need to strengthen interdisciplinary mechanism analysis, accelerate clinical validation, optimize intelligent manufacturing technology, build a standard system for the entire industry chain, and promote the leapfrog development of hemp seeds from functional raw materials to precision and healthy products.