Chiral separation of isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin in beer, hop pellets and hops by HPLC with chiral columns

Xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, and 8-prenylnaringenin in beer, hop and hop pellet samples were analyzed by HPLC using an InertSustain phenyl column and the mobile phase containing 40% methanol and 12% 2-propanol. Fractions of isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin obtained by the above HPLC were separately collected. Isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin were enantioseparated by HPLC using a Chiralcel OD-H column with a mobile phase composed of hexane–ethanol (90:10, v/v) and a Chiralpak AD-RH column with a mobile phase composed of methanol–2-propanol–water (40:20:40, v/v/v), respectively. Isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin from beer, hop and hop pellet samples were found to be present in a racemic mixture. This can be explained by the fact that the two analytes were produced by a nonenzymatic process. The effects of boiling conditions on the conversion of xanthohumol into isoxanthohumol were also studied. A higher concentration of ethanol in heating solvent resulted in a decrease in the conversion ratio and the conversion was stopped by addition of ethanol at >50% (v/v). The isomerization was significantly affected pH (2−10) and the boiling medium at pH 5 was minimum for the conversion. Therefore, it was suggested that xanthohumol was relatively difficult to convert to isoxanthohumol in wort (pH 5−5.5) during boiling.