Research with hops: More than the heart and soul of a beer
FAU researchers examine the antibiotic and antiviral effects of hops
Hops are not only essential for brewing beer. They have also been valued as a medicinal plant since ancient times thanks to their special properties. This is the starting point for Luisa Kober’s and Marco Dürsch’s research. The two doctoral researchers at the Chair of Bioprocess Engineering (BVT) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are focusing on the positive effects of hops.
Luisa Kober and Marco Dürsch have one thing in common: They are both working on research projects exploring the pioneering question of how the antiviral and antibiotic effect of hops can be put to use in an innovative way for organic production of animal-source foods.
Hops have an antibiotic and growth-promoting effect
“Our research is based on the ancient knowledge that hops are a medicinal plant,” explains Luisa Kober. “People have made use of hops in the past due to their special properties, for example for preserving beer.” Her aim is now to use these properties to produce feed additives from hop extracts for sustainable poultry production. “My research project is aimed firstly at providing an alternative to traditional antibiotics used for treating and preventing bacterial infectious diseases in poultry farming. Secondly, using hops in animal husbandry is also extremely interesting as they can promote growth,” the biochemist explains.
Her basic research has already been proven to be successful in practice: In collaboration with the university in Joinville in southern Brazil where an FAU graduate is employed as a postdoctoral researcher, microcapsules containing hop extracts are being fed to the animals on a poultry farm. With success. Trends are emerging suggesting that the “micro hops” do have an antibiotic effect and are encouraging growth in the animals.
Effective use in poultry farming
“Against the backdrop of increasing problems due to pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics, finding an alternative to using antibiotics in poultry production makes sense for the health of human beings and animals,” emphasizes Luisa Kober. Especially as the alternative is made from renewable raw materials, and is therefore sustainable. And especially in an area of food production that is becoming larger by the day: Poultry is the meat that is eaten the most across the globe. And its popularity is continuing to grow.
The same is true for the area covered by Marco Dürsch and his doctoral research. The life science engineer is investigating the antiviral effect of hops and in particular of hops residue that occurs as a waste product in breweries or when hops are processed to produce hop extracts and how they can be used in aquaculture (focusing on fish farming in particular). The controlled breeding of fish, molluscs, crustaceans etc. is acknowledged to be the most rapidly growing area for the production of animal-source foods. “This form of large-scale livestock farming leads to the same problems as industrial animal husbandry on land”, explains Marco Dürsch. “The risk of fatal viral disease is especially high in aquacultures where fish are kept in very close quarters.”
Hop-based antiviral additives for fish food
The FAU scientist is focusing particularly on the Koi herpes virus. In Germany, it predominantly affects farmed carp and proves fatal in nearly all cases. He is also investigating the tilapia lake virus that predominantly affects fish typically found on the menu in Asia and two types of virus that chiefly affect trout and salmon. “The Koi herpes virus is a huge problem, as no prophylaxis or medical treatment is available that has been approved for use in Europe,” explains Marco Dürsch. “The Chair has been conducting research into these types of viruses for several years now. The Chair’s own brewery and research into the brewing process has led us to investigate how we can use the properties of hops to our advantage.”
With success. In the laboratory, Marco Dürsch is now investigating various types of hops to discover which of the individual substances they contain have particularly effective antiviral properties. Once the substances are identified, they are selectively enriched using tailored extraction procedures and made into micro capsules to make a prototype for an additive for fish feed.
Both he and Luisa Kober are fascinated by their research into the preventative properties of hops: “Using natural substances to develop something that acts to prevent illness in the long term, encouraging organic food production and at the end of the day tackling challenges facing society as a whole is a great incentive.”
Hops play a major role at the Chair of Bioprocess Engineering. Research is not only conducted into their medicinal uses, students at the Chair also brew their own beer in the teaching brewery, the Röthelheimbräu.
Further information:
Luisa Kober
Chair of Bioprocess Engineering
Phone: + 49 9131 85 23280
Phone: + 49 9131 85 70671
luisa.kober@fau.de
Marco Dürsch
Chair of Bioprocess Engineering
Phone: + 49 9131 85 70672
marco.duersch@fau.de