{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T09:21:57Z","timestamp":1787995317372,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]],"date-time":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756857600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Puregene AG"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study compared the effects of storage time and electron beam (EB) irradiation on microbial counts and chemical stability of dried flowers from two hemp cultivars over 12 weeks. Cannabinoid and terpene content, as well as microbial load, were evaluated at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks in EB-irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Microbial count in non-irradiated flowers reached up to 4.1 \u00d7 106 colony-forming units (CFU)\/g; EB irradiation reduced these levels to &lt;102 CFU\/g. Cannabinoid contents were unaffected by EB irradiation and remained stable throughout storage. Terpene content decreased by 8.4% immediately after irradiation, followed by further declines during storage, reaching 22.3% and 24.0% average losses in non-irradiated and EB-irradiated samples after 12 weeks, respectively. EB irradiation caused a higher decrease in monoterpenes (10.8%) than in sesquiterpenes (2.5%). These findings confirm that EB irradiation is an effective sterilization method for hemp flowers that preserves chemical integrity. Storage time also significantly reduced microbial loads in non-irradiated samples; TAMC in cultivar B declined from 20,728 CFU\/g to &lt;LOQ (100 CFU\/g), and TYMC decreased 16-fold. Cultivar A exhibited a sharp initial TAMC reduction followed by fluctuations and TYMC levels that were 7-fold lower by Week 12, reflecting natural microbial decay during hemp flower storage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30173601","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]],"date-time":"2025-09-03T12:07:32Z","timestamp":1756901252000},"page":"3601","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Impact of Electron Beam Treatment and Storage Duration on Microbial Stability and Phytochemical Integrity in Hemp Flowers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5797-9061","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando D.","family":"Goffman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Seedcraft S.L., Paraje Casa de las Cebollas 1, 30510 Yecla, Regi\u00f3n de Murcia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"D\u00e1niel \u00c1.","family":"Carrera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Puregene AG, Etzmatt 273, 4314 Zeiningen, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Diogo A. R. S.","family":"Latino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, 6300 Zug, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-0414-2820","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christelle","family":"Cronje","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Puregene AG, Etzmatt 273, 4314 Zeiningen, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leron","family":"Katsir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Puregene AG, Etzmatt 273, 4314 Zeiningen, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1614","DOI":"10.1002\/cbdv.200790144","article-title":"History of Cannabis and Its Preparations in Saga, Science, and Sobriquet","volume":"4","author":"Russo","year":"2007","journal-title":"Chem. 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