Hop bioactive compounds: spontaneous vs commercial varieties
Conference Paper
Overview
Research
View All
Overview
abstract
Humulus lupulus L. is a species belonging to the Cannabaceae family. Hop, as it is commonly known, is a perennial, dioecious and normally diploid (2n = 20) herbaceous plant. It is in beer production that hops have their greatest economic value at the international level. In addition, Hops contain compounds that confer sedative, diuretic anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties. In fact, the ethnobotanical uses of the dried flowers in pillows called "hop pads" have been used to combat insomnia while the dried and green hop inflorescences , were used in the Montesinho park area to treat urinary and digestive disorders. Since the middle Ages, it was used in infusions as a tonic; it was considered a medicinal herb.
Since there is spontaneous hops in a large part of Portugal, the collection and analysis of the aromas the α and β-acids component, and phenols of these hops may lead to the development of new and more fragrances, with interest in different areas, like beer production or cosmetics. The volatile components extracted from spontaneous hops collected in the Bragança area were analyzed and compared with those of commercial varieties.
The results obtained show a certain similarity in the monoterpene component, with β-myrcene as the major compound (more than 64% in cultivar and spontaneous samples) and notorious differences in the sesquiterpene component, evident in cases of α-humulene (12% in cultivars, 0.2% and in spontaneous) and trans-β-farnesene (not detected in cultivars, 9% in spontaneous). Also important is the richness of the sesquiterpene component in spontaneous clone, in particular in the oxygenated compounds. This profile, of both cultivar and spontaneous, shows potential for antimicrobial effects in the digestive tract, especially when these are associated with bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which will be in agreement with ethnobotanical uses of Hop.
The higher values, in the cultivars, of the α and β-acids component is expected since the Nugget cultivar is characterized by a bitter taste, due to acids, whereas the aroma cultivars, which are more required by the artisan brewers, are valued for their richness in aromas (essential oils), the richness of the spontaneous in trans-β-farnesene being determinant to the stability of the beer, or used in cosmetic products.
