Hops

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a perennial fast-growing, twining, climbing plant of the Cannabaceae family. It has numerous rough, prickly stems that grow up to 20 feet in length and produces yellow to yellowish-green flowers that hang in panicles or catkins, depending on the sex of the plant. It produces scaly, pale yellow-green, cone-like fruits that are develop from the female flowers.

H. lupulus is well-known for its use in making beer. The bitter, aromatic taste of beer is mostly due to the hops content. Hops also is thought to have a sedative effect, and is known by many cultures to have a calming effect on the nervous system. H. lupulus contains high amounts of estrogen and numerous bioactive compounds, including lupulone, a beta-acid derived from hops. Hops also has high amounts of vitamin B6.

Necrotic enteritis (NE)
Broilers fed 30 mg/kg of hops beta-acids showed a decrease in C. perfringens strains that cause necrotic enteritis in chickens.

Note
Long-term storage of hops leads to major deterioration in quality.