Phytochemical, spectroscopic analysis and antifungal activity on bell peppers of hydrothermal bioactive metabolites of <i>Humulus lupulus</i> L. extracts

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of temperature on the potential extraction of bioactive compounds from aqueous hop extract samples. The main bioactive components were characterised and analysed by LC-MS/MS, FT-IR, phenolic compounds and total flavonoids. Antifungal activity was evaluated <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> in bell peppers. LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated increases and decreases of bioactive compounds in both extracts depending on the extraction temperature of 25 or 65 °C. The bioactive compounds showed significant changes in the bands between 2786 to 3600 cm^-1 and 1022 to 1729 cm^-1 in the FT-IR spectrum. The highest antifungal activity against the microorganisms was observed in the Ekuanot^MT extract at an extraction temperature of 65 °C. The <i>in vivo</i> test with bell peppers presented antifungal activity during five days of evaluation under normal environmental conditions without refrigeration, presenting ≤ 52% of the disease due to <i>F. oxysporum</i> and <i>A. solani</i>.