Abstract:

The hop plant (Humulus lupulus), commonly used in brewing, is a vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial, usually grown up strings in Hopfield and hop garden. Some members of this family are well-known for their content of pharmacologically active resins, polyphenols (such as xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol) and the essential oil. In addition to brewing, recent studies have shown biological activities of hops extract against cancer, antivirus and in inhibiting bone resorption as well as lipid peroxidation. Hops have also been used as a traditional herb with sedative, hypnotic, antispasmodic, stomachic, tonic, diuretic and topical bactericidal properties. The chemical composition in hops and their pharmacological effects are reviewed in this paper so as to present some sights for further application research and development.

Key words: hop, chemical composition, pharmacological effects