Enlarging Knowledge on Lager Beer Volatile Metabolites Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography

Area of Science:

• Foodomics
• Metabolomics
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Foodomics, an emerging field of metabolomics, offers insights into food systems and sensorial properties through metabolite profiling.
• Volatile compounds significantly influence beer's overall aroma and unique characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an in-depth volatile metabolite profiling of lager beer.
• To generate novel data for the identification of beer aroma molecules.
• To explore the application of foodomics in understanding beer composition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multidimensional gas chromatography for comprehensive volatile compound analysis.
• Applied clustering analysis for beer classification based on production systems (macro- vs. microbreweries).

Main Results:

• Identified and quantified 329 volatile metabolites across eight chemical families in lager beer.
• Reported 96 compounds as novel constituents of lager beer volatile composition.
• Observed that monoterpenic and sesquiterpenic compounds exhibit diverse chemical structures, potentially contributing to distinct aromas.
• Clustering analysis successfully differentiated beers based on their production scale.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the most comprehensive volatile composition profile of lager beer to date.
• The detailed data can be applied to enhance beer quality control, monitor brewing processes, and analyze raw material composition.
• The findings contribute valuable information for understanding the chemical basis of beer aroma and flavor.