Quality Analysis of Wild and Cultivated Hops Based on High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprinting, Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Quantification, and Multivariate Analysis

This study systematically compared the chemical profiles of wild and cultivated Humulus lupulus L. (hops) from Xinjiang, China. An integrated analytical strategy combining high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprinting, liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry quantification, and multivariate chemometrics revealed two distinct chemical phenotypes. Wild populations exhibited greater chemical diversity and harbored unique chemotypes. In contrast, cultivated varieties demonstrated targeted enrichment and superior consistency of specific bioactive flavonoids, notably xanthohumol, desmethylxanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, and 8‐prenylnaringenin, which were validated as robust markers for origin discrimination. The findings establish that cultivation promotes metabolic channeling towards valuable bioactive compounds, ensuring quality for industrial use, while wild hops serve as a vital reservoir of chemical diversity for breeding and research. This work provides a scientific foundation for authenticating and valorizing Xinjiang hops’ resources.