Factors affecting the polyphenol compounds and antiradical activity of hops: Long-term study of Czech hop varieties

Abstract

Hops is a source of a number of polyphenol substances important in terms of both brewery and health benefits. Many of these are antioxidants with a preventative effect on life-style diseases, cardiovascular and cancer diseases. A five-year study of the content of polyphenol substances of Czech hop varieties by group methods (total polyphenols, anthocyanogens, flavonoids, prenylflavonoids) has shown that the content and profile of polyphenols is varietal-specific, but also depends on the harvest year and other factors. The ratio of the content of polyphenols in the head mass and the alpha acids alongside the variety strongly depends on the vintage year, which affects the number of polyphenols in the hopping dose. The dependence of the DPPH antiradical activity on all polyphenol groups except prenylflavonoids has been demonstrated.