This paper examines the potential of ginger (Zingiber officinale var. Roscoe), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton), and star anise (Illicium verum Hook) as natural sources of both flavor-active molecules and antioxidants in NABLABs. It combines a comprehensive review of the literature with a few new experimental insights. Firstly, the major volatiles of each spice are described, along with first evidence on polyfunctional thiols. Star anise exhibited the highest total thiol content, while ginger showed the greatest structural diversity. Notable differences between the thiols found in spices and their hop-derived analogs were a higher proportion of acetate forms and the fact that the former originate from aldol-derived precursors, rather than arising through lipid oxidation. Secondly, this review summarizes spice phenolic profiles (mainly hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, flavones, flavan-4-ones and flavan-3-ol monomers) and antioxidant activities evidenced in different solvents. Star anise generally stands out for its higher antioxidant content and activity than ginger, itself richer than cardamom. UPLC-MS/MS analyses enabled to evidence, for the first time, the presence of various flavan-3-ol oligomers (with mainly the catechin unit in star anise and epicatechin in cardamom), although their contribution to the antioxidant capacity appears insignificant. In beer, it may be advisable to combine several spices in moderate quantities so as to benefit from their combined antioxidant potential while avoiding the strong aromatic signature of a single spice.
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Willemart et al. (2026) studied this question.
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