Brewing By-Product Upcycling Potential: Nutritionally Valuable Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation

The brewing industry produces high quantities of solid and liquid waste, causing disposal issues. Brewing spent grains (BSGs) and brewing spent hop (BSH) are important by-products of the brewing industry and possess a high-value chemical composition. In this study, BSG and BSH, obtained from the production process of two different types of ale beer (Imperial red and Belgian strong beer) were characterized in terms of valuable components, including proteins, carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber, β-glucans, arabinoxylans, polyphenols, and phenolic acids, and antioxidant activity (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS)). Significant concentrations of total polyphenols were observed in both BSH and BSG samples (average of about 10 mg GAE/g of dry mass); however, about 1.5-fold higher levels were detected in by-products of Belgian strong ale beer compared with Imperial red. Free and bound phenolic acids were quantified using a validated chromatographic method. A much higher level of total phenolic acids (TPA) (about 16-fold higher) was found in BSG samples compared with BSHs. Finally, their antioxidant potential was verified. By-products of Belgian strong ale beer, both BSG and BSH, showed significantly higher antioxidative capacity (about 1.5-fold lower inhibitory concentration (IC50) values) compared with spent grains and hop from the brewing of Imperial red ale. In summary, BSG and BSH may be considered rich sources of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and antioxidant compounds (polyphenols), and have the potential to be upcycled by transformation into value-added products.