Investigation of the Polyphenolic Profile of Gin Botanicals and Their Potential Bioactivity

Botanicals are utilized in gin distillation to impact flavour and drive aroma. The leftover of the botanicals after the distillation is finished is referred to as spent gin botanicals. One of the ways to drive sustainability in food manufacturing and utilization of bioresources is the repurposing of by-product materials. The study investigated the polyphenolic profile in gin botanicals mix (GBM)–pre-distillation and spent gin botanicals (SGB)–post-distillation. LC-ESI-QTOF/MS was used for polyphenol identification while HPLC-UV was used for their quantification. Their ACE1 and AChE inhibitions were also studied. The analysis identified and verified 79 and 60 polyphenols in the GBM and SGB samples, respectively, and these included phenolic acids, different groups of flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes, and other uncategorized groups. The bioactivity assays showed the level of their biological activity for the inhibition of ACE1 (21.32%−58.26%) and AChE (34.84%−58.26%). Profiling of the gin botanicals samples highlighted its polyphenolic profile and the role it plays in gin distillation. The SGB showed good retention of the polyphenols post-distillation, an indication that it can be utilized as a natural and potent source of polyphenols in product development as well as to build functionality and drive sustainability within the distilling industry.