Hop bitter acids exhibit anti-fibrogenic effects an hepatic stellate cells in vitro

Female inflorescences of the hop plant humulus lupulus contain a variety of secondary metabolites with bitter acids (BA) as major component. Numerous studies have shown the safety of even long term application of hop extracts in man, and the application of BA in beer brewing has a long history due to their antibacterial effect and their typical bitter taste. Recent studies indicate that BA may affect activity of the transcription factor NFkB, and we and others have shown that NFkB plays a key role in the activation process of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), which is the key event of hepatic fibrosis. The aim of th…