Phytoestrogens are secondary metabolites in plants. Due to their structural similarity to female sex hormones, estrogens, they have the ability to bind to estrogen receptors and can cause a response in the human body. For many years, phytoestrogens have been interesting from a medical as well as from pharmaceutical point of view especially because of their positive effects on human health.
Phytoestrogens can be found in hops, and with its connection to beer, these two are the centre of this master’s thesis. The purpose of this thesis was to develop a procedure for sample preparation and the analysis of phytoestrogens in beer and hops. Beer samples were firstly degassed in an ultrasonic bath and then filtered through filter paper. Filtration was followed by solid phase extraction (SPE). Hop samples were firstly extracted with methanol and then filtered through filter paper. For solid phase extraction optimization, the experiments were performed with ethanol and water mixture, so called synthetic beer. I have set the appropriate extraction conditions: SPE column LC-8, 5 % NaCl, low sample pH (3-3,5) and the largest sample volume applied, 70 mL. Solid phase extraction yields were between 79 % and 88 %. After solid phase extraction a HPLC-DAD analysis took place. I have optimized separation parameters; gradient and composition of the mobile phase (acetonitrile and water with 0.1 % formic acid). Analytes were detected at two different wavelengths: 290 nm (absorption maximums of 8-prenylnaringenin and isoxanthohumol) and 365 nm (absorption maximum of xanthohumol). Concentration linearity range was 0.05–50 mg/L, R2 values ranged from 0.9977 to 0.9994 and the RSDs for repeatability ranged from 0.98 % to 3.24 %. In all the beer and hop samples xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol were determined, in some samples also 8-prenylnaringenin. The last one is present in most samples at low concentrations below the limit of detection of HPLC-DAD method. Therefore I used LC-MS/MS analysis and confirmed 8-prenylnaringenin in all of the samples.
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