THE APPLICATION OF SALT FORMATION IN THE CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF HOP RESINS

In natural product chemistry the satisfactory isolation of chemical compounds of scientific and/or commercial significance normally follows a pattern of fractionation which involves the utilization of a range of physical and chemical properties of the compounds present in the mixture. Vapour pressure and solubility are the physical properties traditionally made use of in the initial stages of fractionation. Chemical properties normally enable somewhat more specific fractionation to be achieved. One chemical property that is widely used is the ability of a large number of compounds to form salts. In the case of the hop resins it is this specific chemical property which has played the most significant role in their isolation, characterization and commercial utilization. The historical development of this aspect of hop chemistry has been reviewed.