Identification and quantification of the oxidation products derived from α-acids and β-acids during storage of hops ( Humulus lupulus L.).

α-Acids and β-acids, two main components of hop resin, are known to be susceptible to oxygen and degraded during hop storage, although the oxidation products in stored hops have not been fully identified. In this study, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method suitable for separation and quantification of the oxidation products. This HPLC analysis clearly proved, for the first time, that humulinones and hulupones are major products in oxidized hops. We are also the first to identify novel 4'-hydroxy-allohumulinones, suggested to be oxidative products of humulinones, by means of NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Using the developed analytical method, changes in α- and β-acids and their oxidation products during hop storage were clearly revealed for the first time.