Antioxidant and mineral element characterization in spontaneous hop (Humulus lupulus L.) in central Italy

The female inflorescences (cones) of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.) are largely utilized in beer production. However, the high content of antioxidant substances is also of interest. In Italy, hop is not cultivated, but spontaneous plants are abundant. To characterize the spontaneous germplasm of hop, the cones of plants from 4 locations in central Italy were collected in September 2013 and analysed to determinate the polyphenol and flavonoid content, the antiradical power, as well as the protein and mineral element content. For comparative purposes, the same analyses were performed on cones of cultivated plants and commercial hop pellets. Results showed that spontaneous hops are rich in antioxidants. Of great interest is that the mineral element content varies according to origin and could potentially be used in geographical origin characterization. Further studies are needed to assess the suitability of Italian hop germplasm for cultivation in areas of origin or for its use in breeding programs.