Phytochemical, spectroscopic analysis and antifungal activity on bell peppers of hydrothermal bioactive metabolites of Humulus lupulus L. extracts.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of temperature on the potential extraction of bioactive compounds from aqueous hop extract samples. The main bioactive components were characterised and analysed by LC-MS/MS, FT-IR, phenolic compounds and total flavonoids. Antifungal activity was evaluated in vitro and in vivo in bell peppers. LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated increases and decreases of bioactive compounds in both extracts depending on the extraction temperature of 25 or 65 °C. The bioactive compounds showed significant changes in the bands between 2786 to 3600 cm-1 and 1022 to 1729 cm-1 in the FT-IR spectrum. The highest antifungal activity against the microorganisms was observed in the EkuanotMT extract at an extraction temperature of 65 °C. The in vivo test with bell peppers presented antifungal activity during five days of evaluation under normal environmental conditions without refrigeration, presenting ≤ 52% of the disease due to F. oxysporum and A. solani.

Novel Brazilian hop (Humulus lupulus L.) extracts through supercritical CO2 extraction: Enhancing hop processing for greater sustainability.

Hop cultivation has been increasing in the past decade in Brazil, demanding a better understanding of how the processing influences the national hop varieties. Despite the hop process being well-established in the producer countries, there is still room for optimization to reduce energy consumption for a more sustainable process. This study's main purpose was to understand the influence of drying and supercritical CO2 extraction on the quality of hop extracts. The hop quality during drying was evaluated regarding color, bitter acids, xanthohumol, total essential oil content, and volatile profile. Supercritical CO2 extraction yields, and bitter acid recovery were assessed by HPLC in a range of different temperatures (40 or 60 °C) and pressure (15, 20, 25, or 30 MPa) conditions. Hop processing was optimized to produce a greater extract quality from a Brazilian hop variety, saving energy and solvent consumption, and consequently, reducing the process footprint. Furthermore, this study established supercritical CO2 extraction conditions for Brazilian hop extract production, offering the national beer industry an alternative to overpriced products.

Performance of Hop Cultivars Grown with Artificial Lighting under Subtropical Conditions.

The objective of this study was to determine the duration of the main phenological stages, plant growth development, yield, and cone quality of hop cultivars grown under artificial light (17 h per day) during vegetative development (early season) in a subtropical climate region. The study was conducted in Palotina, Paraná, Brazil (24° S), during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. The plants were cultivated in a 5.5 m high trellis system with artificial light supplementation during vegetative development. The hop cultivars Hallertau Mittelfrüher, Mapuche, Northern Brewer, Spalter, and Yakima Gold were used in the treatments. The duration of the phenological stages, vegetative growth (plant height, fresh mass of the plants, number of lateral branches per plant), components of productive yield (number of cones per side branch, number of cones per plant, fresh mass, length, and width of the cone, production of fresh cones per plant, and yield), and chemical components of the cones (alpha- and beta-acid contents, and essential oil concentrations) were recorded. The duration of the phenological stages was visually evaluated, and plant growth was analyzed using non-linear log-logistic regression. The remaining data were subjected to analysis of variance and the means were compared using Tukey's test. The data were also subjected to multivariate analysis using the principal components test, correlation analysis, and hierarchical grouping. The cultivar Mapuche was considered an early hop in both seasons, and the cultivars Spalter and Yakima Gold were considered early cultivars in the second season. In both seasons, the productive yield components were positively correlated with the precocity of the cultivars, in which Mapuche in the 2021 season and Mapuche, Spalter, and Yakima Gold in the 2022 season had the highest mean of the number of cones per side branch and per plant, production per plant, and productivity. The cultivar Yakima Gold had a positive correlation with the chemical quality of cones, alpha and beta acid contents, and essential oil concentrations, for both seasons.

Addition of Hop (Humulus Lupulus L.) Bitter Acids Yields Modification of Malt Protein Aggregate Profiles during Wort Boiling.

Hop bitter acids are used in the brewing industry to give beer bitterness. However, much of this bitterness is lost during processing, specifically during the wort boiling step. One of the major causes might be the interaction with protein-protein complexes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify the role of hop bitter acids in protein aggregate formation using a proteomic approach. The effect of hop addition on protein composition was analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/MS (LC-MS/MS), and further analyses were performed to characterize the wort before and after boiling. Addition of hop bitter acids yielded a change in wort protein profiles, and hop bitter acids were found to bind primarily to less abundant proteins which are not related to beer quality traits, such as foam or haze. Wort protein aggregate profiles were revealed, and findings from this study suggested the precipitation of particular proteins in the aggregates during boiling when hops were added.

Análise da relação entre a caracterização química de cervejas e o conteúdo de alfa ácidos presente em dois cultivares de lúpulo / Analysis to study the relationship between the chemical characterization of beers and the content of alpha acids present in two cultivars of hops

O lúpulo (Humulus lupulusL.) é uma planta cuja inflorescência feminina é utilizada na indústria cervejeira para conferir amargor e aroma à bebida, sendo que, o Brasil importa cerca de 98% desta matéria-prima. Entretanto, essa planta vem ganhando destaque no país, influenciando diretamente as características de qualidade do produto final. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi explorar a relação entre o teor de alfa ácidos de dois cultivares de lúpulo produzidos no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos (primeiro no ranking em produção da cultura). O trabalho foi desenvolvido na Universidade de Estado de Santa Catarina ­Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias (UDESC/CAV), em Lages/SC, no ano de 2021. Uma cerveja padrão do estilo Indian Pale Ale (IPA), com a mesmareceita base, foi produzida. Cada tratamento consistiu na adição de diferentes cultivares de lúpulo (Comet e Fuggle) de duas origens (Brasil e Estados Unidos). Os resultados confirmaram que os cultivares e a origem do lúpulo influenciam as característicasquímicas das cervejas avaliadas. A quantidade de compostos fenólicos totais, flavonoides e atividade antioxidante da cerveja produzida como cultivar Fuggle brasileiro foi 6,5% (850,09 meq ácido gálico L-1); 75,5% (95,07 meq quercetina L-1) e 13,8% (6890 mmol Trolox L-1) superior, respectivamente, em relação à cerveja produzida com o mesmo cultivar originário dos Estados Unidos. Houve uma correlação negativa entre o teor de alfa ácidos e o conteúdo fenólico e capacidade antioxidante das cervejas. As cervejas em que foi utilizado lúpulo Fugglebrasileiro, com o menor teor de alfa ácidos dentre os avaliados, apresentaram maior associação positiva com o conteúdo de polifenóis totais, individuais e capacidade antioxidante das cervejas. Assim, as cervejas produzidas com o cultivar FuggleBrasileiro apresentaram maior acúmulo de substâncias antioxidantes relacionadas com os indicadores de qualidade para o processamento e conservação da bebida.(AU)

Hops (Humulus lupulusL.) is a plant whose female inflorescence is used in the brewing industry to impart bitterness and aroma to the drink, and Brazil imports about 98% of this raw material. However, this plant has been gaining prominence in the country, directly influencing the quality characteristics of the final product. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the alpha acids content of two hop cultivars produced in Brazil and the United States. The work was developed at UDESC/CAV, in Lages/SC, in the year 2021. A standard Indian Pale Ale beer, with the same base recipe, was produced. Each treatment consisted of the addition of different hop cultivars (Comet and Fuggle) from two origins (Brazilian and American). The results confirm that the cultivars and the origin of the hops influence the chemical characteristics of the evaluatedbeers. The amount of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of the beer produced with the Brazilian Fuggle cultivar was 6.5% (850.09 meq gallic acid L-1); 75.5% (95.07 meq quercetin L-1) and 13.8% (6890 mmol Trolox L-1) higher, respectively, in relation to beer produced with the same cultivar originating in the United States. There was an inverse correlation between the alpha acid content and the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the beers. The beers in which Brazilian Fuggle hops were used, with the lowest alpha acid content among those adopted, showed a greater positive association with the total polyphenol content, individuals and antioxidant capacity of the beers. In conclusion, the beers produced with the cultivar Fuggle Brasileiro have a greater concentration of antioxidant substances.(AU)