Quantification of α-Acids, β-Acids, and Phenolic Compounds in Corsican Hops Using LC-MS/MS and Metabolomic Approach...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Chemistry
• Food Chemistry
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Accurate quantification of hop bittering compounds is crucial for the beer industry.
• Understanding Corsican hops' chemical composition is essential for their brewing potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and quantify the bittering profile of Corsican hops.
• To explore the influence of environmental factors on hop chemical composition.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel LC-MS/MS method for hop acid and phenolic compound analysis.
• Identified hop acids using fragmentation patterns and full-scan detection.
• Conducted metabolomic analysis via molecular networking.

Main Results:

• Quantified 28 compounds, including six common and seven additional hop acids.
• Identified 34 compounds through molecular networking, with eight being novel.
• Demonstrated the impact of climate variations and transplantation on hop extractives.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodologies accurately profile Corsican hops' bittering potential.
• Identified novel compounds and environmental influences on hop chemistry.
• Corsican hops present a significant economic opportunity for a sustainable brewing market.