Valorisation of hop leaves for their bioactive compounds: Identification and quantification of phenolics across different varieties, crop years and stages of development.

Hop leaves, a by-product from hop cone harvesting, contain phenolic compounds of potential value for food or beverage applications. However, the abundant phenolics in hop leaves remain largely unquantified. This study quantified phenolics in hop leaves over two crop years, for three commercially significant varieties, at different developmental stages post-flowering. Ethanolic hop extracts were characterised using LC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD for the annotation and quantification of phenolics and bitter resins. Hop leaf phenolic profile exhibited considerable structural diversity, differing significantly from that of respective cones. Kaempferol/quercetin 3-O-glycosides and chlorogenic acids were the most abundant sub-groups with phenolic acids, procyanidins, prenylflavonoids and bitter resins also present. Phenolic profile was mainly variety-dependent with some crop year and developmental effects. Flavonol 3-O-glycosides were the main compounds driving varietal differences. Findings demonstrate the structural diversity and high concentrations of phenolic compounds in hop leaf extracts and their potential as a source of bioactives for valorisation. • Hop leaf phenolic fractions characterised for potential valorisation. • 2-year study, 3 commercial varieties sampled at different leaf development stages. • Predominant leaf phenolics were flavonol 3-O-glycosides and chlorogenic acids. • Flavonol-3-O-glycoside profiles were variety specific/ consistent across harvests. • Variety was the main driver of leaf phenolic composition.