Phenolic Compounds in Different Beer Brands: A Qualitative Comparison of Differente Brands and their Relationship with Human Health

Abstract

Nowadays, we have observed a great interest in food that, besides nutrition, provides functional activities in relation to the prevention of some physiological disorders.The presence of phenolic compounds in some kinds of food makes them able to prevent some diseases, such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, heart diseases, inflammations, as well as other benefits, because they behave like antioxidant agents in the organism. Considering that beer is one of the most consumed drinks by Brazilian people and it also has as part of its composition some compounds like the phenolic ones, our research aimed at performing a qualitative and comparative analysis using the phenolic compounds in five different brands of "Pilsen" beer that are more consumed by the population, in relation to their effects to health. To identify the compounds, two methods were used, chromogenic reactions and thin layer chromatography, methods that were efficient for this research. Compounds from the group of flavonoids, flavanones, catechins and tannins, beside some phenolic acids, such as the caffeic, the para-coumarica and ferulic ones were found in beer. Such substances provide beer with an antioxidant power that presents benefits for the health of those who drink it, no matter the brand, because they showed the same pattern of phenolic compounds, having, this way, mainly an antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic action, among others.