alpha-bitter-acid and cohumulone

Hop-derived compounds have been subjected to numerous biomedical studies investigating their impact on a wide range of pathologies. Isomerised bitter acids (isoadhumulone, isocohumulone and isohumulone) from hops, used in the brewing process of beer, are known to inhibit members of the aldo-keto-reductase superfamily. Aldo-keto-reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is upregulated in various types of cancer and has been reported to promote carcinogenesis. Inhibition of AKR1B10 appears to be an attractive means to specifically treat RAS-dependent malignancies. However, the closely related reductases AKR1A1 and AKR1B1, which fulfil important roles in the detoxification of endogenous and xenobiotic carbonyl compounds oftentimes crossreact with inhibitors designed to target AKR1B10. Accordingly, there is an ongoing search for selective AKR1B10 inhibitors that do not interact with endogeneous AKR1A1 and AKR1B1-driven detoxification systems. In this study, unisomerised α-acids (adhumulone, cohumulone and

Topics: Aldehyde Reductase; Aldo-Keto Reductases; Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Farnesol; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Humans; Humulus; Terpenes

Bitter acids (BAs) from the hop plant Humulus lupulus L. exhibit multiple beneficial biological properties with promising effects in cancer therapy and prevention, but information regarding the effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is missing. Here, we used two different hop bitter acid extracts enriched for either α-acids or β-acids to obtain insight into whether biological activity varies between these two groups of BAs. At a concentration of 25 µg/ml, only the β-acid rich started to induce aspartate transaminase (AST) release, and a significant increase was detected with 50 µg/ml of both extracts. Already at lower concentrations both extracts led to a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation, and migration was suppressed at a concentration as low as 5 µg/ml in HCC cells. The focus on different signaling pathways revealed an inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, downregulation of AP-1 activity and an alleviation of nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activity in HepG2 cells incubated with 5 µg/ml of both extracts, whereby the β-acid rich extract showed more pronounced effects. In conclusion, we identified ERK1/2, AP-1 and NFκB, which are important factors in tumor development and progression, as targets of hop BAs. Thus, these data suggest the potential use of BAs as functional nutrients for both prevention and treatment of HCC.

Topics: Acids; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Humulus; Liver Neoplasms; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; NF-kappa B; Phosphorylation; Plant Extracts; Terpenes; Transcription Factor AP-1; Tumor Cells, Cultured

A method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the separation and determination of six acidic components (cohumulone, humulone, adhumulone, colupulone, lupulone and adlupulone) in hops extracts. The effects of several important factors, such as the addition of acid, the organic solvent of elution solution and the column temperature, were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions. The separation was carried out on a Hypersil ODS2 column (250 mm x 4. 6 mm, 5 microm). A mixture of acetonitrile-0. 1% (v/v) phosphoric acid solution (pH 2. 2) (65: 35, v/v) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1. 0 mL/min in isocratic elution mode. The column temperature was kept at room temperature, and the detection wavelength was set at 315 nm. The six acidic components reached baseline separation, and were identified by ultraviolet spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The results show that this method is suitable for the analysis of acidic components in hops extracts owing to the stable and simple performance.

Topics: Acids; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Humulus; Plant Extracts; Terpenes

There is little scientific evidence to support the efficacy of natural deodorants and therefore, such products may be perceived as inefficacious. The evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of a hop extract and the evaluation of the odor-reducing capacity of a hops/zinc ricinoleate-containing product by a sensory evaluation panel is employed to verify deodorant performance.. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of a hop extract against Corynebacterium xerosis and Staphylococcus epidermidis and to verify in vivo deodorant performance of a hops/zinc ricinoleate-containing product.. The hops extract was evaluated on a culture of an armpit swab from six volunteers. Furthermore, the extract was submitted to a zone of inhibition test and an agar-dilution assay against two major odor-causing bacteria. The clinical evaluation of the finished product was carried out according to a standard method for substantiating deodorant efficacy using trained odor judges for the assessment of axillary malodor (ASTM method E 1207-87 Standard Practice for the Sensory Evaluation of Axillary Deodorancy).. The supercritical hops extract showed good antibacterial activities in all three tests. Minimum inhibitory concentration values of 6.25 and 25 mug/mL against C. xerosis and S. aureus, respectively, were obtained in the agar-dilution assay. In the clinical underarm odor-reduction evaluation, the mean malodor score dropped from 6.28 (+/-0.70) to 1.80 (+/-0.71) after 8 h of application. There was still a noticeable effect at both 12 and 24 h after the application, with a score of 1.82 (+/-0.74) and 2.24 (+/-0.77), respectively.. The hops extract has good in vitro antibacterial properties and, in combination with zinc ricinoleate in an appropriate base, delivers in vivo odor reduction. The clinical efficacy is likely due to a combination of the base ingredients and the antibacterial actives.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Corynebacterium; Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Deodorants; Humans; Humulus; Odorants; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Ricinoleic Acids; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Terpenes; Triclosan

The typical bitterness of fresh beer is well-known to decrease in intensity and to change in quality with increasing age. This phenomenon was recently shown to be caused by the conversion of bitter tasting trans-iso-alpha-acids into lingering and harsh bitter tasting tri- and tetracyclic degradation products such as tricyclocohumol, tricyclocohumene, isotricyclocohumene, tetracyclocohumol, and epitetracyclocohumol. Interestingly, the formation of these compounds was shown to be trans-specific and the corresponding cis-iso-alpha-acids were found to be comparatively stable. Application of 18O stable isotope labeling as well as quantitative model studies combined with LC-MS/MS experiments, followed by computer-based molecular dynamics simulations revealed for the first time a conclusive mechanism explaining the stereospecific transformation of trans-iso-alpha-acids into the tri- and tetracyclic degradation products. This transformation was proposed to be induced by a proton-catalyzed carbon/carbon bond formation between the carbonyl atom C(1') of the isohexenoyl moiety and the alkene carbon C(2'') of the isoprenyl moiety of the trans-iso-alpha-acids.

Topics: Beer; Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Food Handling; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Isomerism; Isotope Labeling; Models, Molecular; Oxygen Isotopes; Stereoisomerism; Taste; Temperature; Terpenes

Five segments of a large hop plant (Humulus lupulus var. Hallertauer Magnum) carrying several cones were enclosed in sealed glass vessels that were gassed with (18)O(2). After 14 days, the segments were harvested and humulone and cohumulone were analysed by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. The oxygen atoms in position 6 of humulone and cohumulone showed 9% (18)O enrichment, respectively. It follows that the C-6 hydroxy groups were introduced by oxygenase catalysis.

Topics: Cyclohexanones; Cyclohexenes; Humulus; Molecular Structure; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Oxygen; Oxygen Isotopes; Oxygenases; Research Design; Terpenes