/ WORT, BEER AND BEER-BASED BEVERAGES / Wort and Beer / Bitter Compounds

B-400.21.131 [2020-10] Xanthohumol and Isoxanthohumol – HPLC

The prenylflavonoid xanthohumol is found in raw hops, pellets, ethanol extract as well as in xanthohumol-enriched hop products; however, xanthohumol is not present in hop extract processed with CO₂ due to its solubility attributes [1]. Interest in xanthohumol has intensified in medical, health and technical brewing circles. Enriching beer with xanthohumol can be achieved through the use of certain hop products and also with technology specifically adapted for this purpose [2, 3, 4, 5].

Within the framework of the Reinheitsgebot (the German Purity Law for beer) and by means of special brewing procedures, unisomerized xanthohumol can be retained in the finished beer in relatively high concentrations [5]. However, with dark beers brewed using a portion of dark specialty malt, it is possible that PVPP stabilization only results in a slight loss in xanthohumol content.

Where the Reinheitsgebot, i.e., the modern "vorläufiges Biergesetz", does not apply, as well as in beer-based beverages and non-alcoholic beverages, special hop products can be added to reach the concentration of xanthohumol desired.

Stabilization of beer using PVPP should be avoided with beer enriched with xanthohumol, since PVPP largely removes polyphenols from the beer. Higher xanthohumol concentrations can be achieved in dark beers which have been brewed with a portion of special dark specialty malts in the grain bill.

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xanthohumol

2‘ 4‘-trihydroxy-6‘-methoxy-3‘-prenylchalcone

(E)-1-[2 4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)phenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propenone

isoxanthohumol

2 3-dihydro-7-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one

4 7-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-prenylflavanone

Application/Purpose

Determination of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol

Scope of Application

All beers, beer-based beverages, wort, ethanol extracts, CO₂ spent hops and xanthohumol products

Principle

Xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol are dissolved with acetonitrile from the sample and following separation, are determined using a Nucleodur C18 column and UV detection.