Valorization of <i>Humulus lupulus</i> L. Byproducts in Cake Formulations

Hop cultivation generates a significant amount of underutilized biomass, such as leaves and stems, as it primarily focuses on harvesting hop flowers (or cones). These byproducts may have nutritional potential. In this context, the chemical and proximate compositions of hop production byproducts were analyzed, and their incorporation into 15 cake formulations was studied according to the Box-Behnken experimental design. The results indicated that hop byproducts have a promising nutritional profile, due to the high concentrations of total fiber in the stem and leaf flour cakes (4.7% and 8.4% w/w, respectively), having high antioxidant activity, measured by DPPH and ABTS assays (46.4 and 21.1 mg/100 g, respectively) and total phenolic content (78.4 and 41.8 mg/100 g, respectively). Based on the results of the present study, the use of leaf and stem flour in bakery products shows potential for developing items with improved nutritional value and enhanced antioxidant capacity.