Xanthohumol in Hops

What is xanthohumol?

Xanthohumol is an important natural product in hops. The female inflorescence of hops (Humulus lupulus) has not only been used in traditional Chinese and Indian herbal medicine but also hops, which are the main raw materials of beer, have been widely used in the brewing industry all over the world. Xanthohumol is a kind of isoprene flavonoid isolated from hops, the concentration in beer is as high as 0.96 mg/ml]. The FDA estimates that the average daily consumption of beer (225ml) will provide 0.14mg of isoprenoid flavonoids (including xanthohumol). Xanthohumol can be detected in plasma within 4 hours of drinking beer, and the content can reach (6.13+5.4ng/mL). It can delay the spoilage effect caused by the growth of microorganisms and has a special aroma and flavor of the beer.

What is the biological activity of xanthohumol?

Cancer cells are characterized by a high rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which is also counteracted by high Antioxidant activity to maintain redox balance. They are therefore more sensitive to changes in ROS levels and more prone to apoptosis induced by these ROS. These high levels of ROS in cancer cells result from defects in the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system or defects in the antioxidant system. Overproduction of ROS or inhibition of the ability of cells to scavenge ROS results in a marked increase in intracellular ROS, leading to cellular damage (lipid, protein, and DNA oxidation) and ultimately cell death.
In past studies, several in vitro studies have been performed to evaluate the potential activity of hops as a chemopreventive agent. Among the hop components, xanthohumol has received major attention. Studies have shown that xanthohumol can inhibit the initiation, promotion, and development stages of carcinogenesis in vitro, and thus appears as a broad chemopreventive agent. There are differences between cancer chemoprevention and cancer treatment. Cancer chemoprevention mainly regulates the pathways related to carcinogenesis and prevents tumor formation. Ideally, cancer prevention is achieved through long-term exposure to non-toxic agents and preferentially selected portions of certain foods. Among the cancer chemopreventive substances isolated and extracted from hops, xanthohumol is the most effective and widely used. Xanthohumol is a widely used cancer chemopreventive agent. Its main functions are as follows:
(1) Reduce the metabolic activity of the initial carcinogen;
(2) Inducing the production of detoxification enzymes of carcinogens;
(3) It can inhibit the development of tumors in the early stage of tumor.