Vitro-derived hop (Humulus lupulus L.) leaves and roots as source of bioactive compounds: antioxidant activity and polyphenolic profile

Bioactive compounds extracted from plant are of great value for those enterprises interested in the use of natural products; plant tissue culture techniques guarantee a reliable and constant biomass production. Hop (Humulus lupulus L.), with its wealth in bioactive compounds, may represent an invaluable resource. The present study focused on the characterization of vitro-derived leaves and roots of two hop plant types, Cascade and Gianni. Extracts obtained from the selected hop explants were investigated, determining their polyphenolic content as their antioxidant capacity, applying DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays; moreover, extract molecular profile was obtained through UHPLC-MS/MS. Results confirm the wealthy in bioactive compounds and the antioxidant properties of the tested vitro-derived hop explants. The qualitative characterization of vitro-derived hop tissue extracts evidenced the presence of twenty one different compounds, already identified in open field grown hop plants, such as polyphenols, alpha- and beta-acids, as well as xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol. The obtained outcomes lay the groundwork to further investigate the potential of vitro-derived hop plantlets as bioactive compounds source.