Effect-directed classification of biological, biochemical and chemical profiles of 50 German beers

P.M. Ristivojević, G.E. Morlock

Biological and biochemical fingerprints were investigated for the first time for the feasibility of effect-directed classification, and thus, to allow the choice of a distinct beer with regard to beneficial health effects. A high-performance thin-layer chromatography method was newly developed and combined with in situ effect-directed analysis for profiling 50 German beers for multipotent active compounds, and thus, their health-related potential. Discovered multipotent active zones were online eluted and characterized by high resolution mass spectrometry. For example, isoxanthohumol, iso-α-ad/n-humulone or its isomers, desdimethyl-octahydro-isocohumulone and ad/n-humulone were proven as antimicrobial compounds, isoxanthohumol as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, and isoxanthohumol and iso-α-ad/n-humulone or its isomers as radical scavengers. Investigating multivariate data analysis of effect-directed fingerprints for the first time, the pattern recognition and classification results showed the power of clustering non-alcoholic beers from other types of beer, or it showed the differentiation of dark and non-alcoholic beers.