Xanthohumol: Key Component of Hops with Significant Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties
- Inhibition of Cardiac Fibroblast Activation
Xanthohumol inhibits the proliferation, differentiation, and excessive collagen production of cardiac fibroblasts. - Reduction of Vascular Calcification
Xanthohumol reduces vascular calcification by enhancing antioxidant capacity and downregulating bone-related factors. - Prevention of Iron Death Induced by Ischemia-Reperfusion
Xanthohumol prevents cardiac iron death by modulating protein levels. - Improvement of Cardiovascular Disease-Related Biomarkers
Xanthohumol may positively impact biomarkers related to cardiovascular diseases, such as body weight, lipid levels, and glucose metabolism.
Xanthohumol is generally considered safe and well-tolerated in both humans and animals. However, further research is needed to understand its effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors, including appropriate dosages, formulations, and intervention periods.
As a major prenylflavonoid in hops, xanthohumol offers a range of health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cancer-preventive properties. Increasing evidence indicates that xanthohumol positively affects biomarkers related to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This review summarizes the effects of xanthohumol supplementation on body weight, lipid and glucose metabolism, systemic inflammation, and redox status. Additionally, it provides insights into the pharmacokinetics of xanthohumol intake. Animal studies show that xanthohumol has beneficial effects on body weight, lipid profiles, glucose metabolism, and other biochemical parameters related to metabolic syndrome and CVD. Despite increasing elucidation of mechanisms through in vitro studies, overall in vivo results remain inconsistent and limited. Pharmacokinetics and safety studies confirm that xanthohumol intake is safe and well-tolerated in both animals and humans. However, there is limited understanding of its metabolism in humans and its effects on body weight and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Urgent research is needed to determine whether the effects of xanthohumol observed in animal studies on body weight and cardiac metabolic parameters can be replicated in humans, and to identify the necessary dosage, formulation, and intervention period.
The only relevant food source of xanthohumol is beer, which provides aroma and bitterness. Although xanthohumol levels are relatively high in hops, its concentration in beer is low due to isomerization into iso-xanthohumol during heat processing. Other steps in beer production, such as fermentation and filtration, also reduce xanthohumol content. Consequently, beer contains only 0.002–0.690 mg/L of xanthohumol, while iso-xanthohumol concentrations range from 0.040–0.716 mg/L, with a maximum of up to 3.44 mg/L. Based on the average beer consumption in the U.S., the estimated daily intake of prenylflavonoids is 0.14 milligrams, primarily iso-xanthohumol.
In recent years, xanthohumol has been associated with various health benefits. In vitro studies show that prenylflavonoids exert anticancer effects by inhibiting carcinogen activation, cell growth, and angiogenesis, as well as inducing apoptosis in various tumor cell lines. Additionally, animal models demonstrate that xanthohumol has neuroprotective effects and anti-atherosclerotic activity.
