Hop bioactive compounds in prevention of nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases

Abstract

Nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NR-NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes both negatively impact the quality of life of many individuals and generate a substantial burden on society, demonstrating a need for intervention. Phytochemicals are investigated as a potential approach for combating NR-NCDs, and those found in hops have gained increased attention in recent decades. Hops, the strobile of the plant Humulus lupulus, are grown primarily for the brewing industry as they confer taste and increased shelf-life. The bitter acids represent the main compounds of interest for improving beer quality. Additionally, bitter acids as well as the prenylated chalcone xanthohumol, exhibit a wide range of health beneficial properties. This review summarizes those beneficial effects of bitter acids and xanthohumol on NR-NCDs, including inflammatory and immune diseases, obesity and metabolic disorders, as well as cancer prevention.

Keywords:

• Hops
• bitter acids
• xanthohumol
• obesity
• cancer
• intestinal health

Disclosure statement

Bravo Iniguez and Zhu have no conflicts of interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by National Institutes of USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) (2018-67017-27517), and Washington State University Agricultural Research Center Emerging Research Issues Competitive Grant.