Spice peppers have valuable phytonutrients that make them of special interest from nutritional and pharmaceutical points of view. This work was conducted to study the impact of γ-irradiation before ...over-ripening on phytonutrients of new hybrids of chili peppers. The investigated cultivars were found to significantly differ in their content of capsaicinoids (P < 0.01) and carotenoids (P < 0.05) with Unijol being the richest in pungency and the poorest in the total carotenoid content although its content of bioactive zeaxanthin and β-carotene was the highest. The 3096 μg g-1 fresh weight, which equals 22114 μg g-1 dry weight, and 331710 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) were recorded for Unijol. The examined cultivars differed significantly in the response of phytonutrients to γ-irradiation treatments. The dose of 2.5 kGy promoted the biosynthesis and stability of capsaicinoids and carotenoids, while the highest dose of 10 kGy decreased, to some extent, the content of phytonutrients except tocopherols. The magnitude of promotion and degradation caused by irradiation was found to be cultivar- and dose-dependent. The highest losses in the total capsaicinoid, total yellow xanthophyll, total red xanthophyll, and total carotenoid content of 19, 34, 37, and 38% respectively were recorded for Unijol as a result of γ-irradiation at 10 kGy.
•The Phytonutrients in new hybrids of spice red chilli were characterised and determined.•Irradiated before over-ripening is applied for the first time to enhance quality of spice chilli.•Ɣ-irradiation at 2.5 kGy increases the content and stability of phytonutrients in chillies.•Irradiation at 10 kGy degrades, to some extent, some carotenoids and capsaicinoids, but not tocopherols.
The amounts of taste components, including those for pungency, in chili pepper fruit change depending on environmental factors. Our previous study revealed that the amount of capsaicinoid was ...significantly increased in chili pepper fruits that were cultivated under a drought stress condition. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to determine the effect of drought stress on pungency and the expression levels of capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes in chili peppers. Japanese chili pepper cultivars ‘Shishito’ and ‘Sapporo’ were selected and cultivated in a greenhouse under a drought stress condition or an excess water supply condition. The fruits were used for morphological analysis, and the quantification of the capsaicinoid content in the placental septum was done using high performance liquid chromatography. Gene expression analysis was carried out using a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for 18 capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes. Based on the obtained gene expression patterns, we divided the 18 genes into three groups. The genes in group 1 (ACL, pAMT, Pun1, WRKY9, CaKR1, CaMYB31, FAT, and KAS I) showed higher gene expression levels in the drought stress condition than in the excess water supply condition in both cultivars at 20 DAF. The genes in group 2 (KAS III, BCKDH, ACS, BCAT, and 4CL) showed higher gene expression levels in the drought stress condition than in the excess water supply condition in only one of the cultivars at 20 DAF. The genes in group 3 (PAL, C3H, HCT, C4H, and COMT) did not show any significant differences in gene expression between the two treatments in either cultivar at all DAF. The genes in our experiment showed similar expression patterns in pungent parthenocarpic fruit and control fruit of ‘Shishito’ as in a previous study. Moreover, we found that the number of seeds tended to be lower in fruits cultivated under a drought stress condition, while capsaicinoid content was higher. It is possible that drought stress firstly affected the number of seeds in the fruits, and the decrease in the number of seeds subsequently caused changes in capsaicinoid biosynthesis.
The pungency-variable sweet chili pepper ‘Shishito’ (Capsicum annuum) is widely cultivated in Japan. While ‘Shishito’ is generally used as a vegetable because of its relatively low pungency, it ...sometimes exhibits high pungency depending on cultivation conditions. Although the occurrence of pungent ‘Shishito’ fruits is a problem in retail distribution and utilization, the responsible mechanism is largely unknown. As one approach to clarify the mechanism, we focused on the effects of parthenocarpy (resulting in seedless fruit) on the pungency traits of ‘Shishito’ fruits. In the present study, artificial parthenocarpic ‘Shishito’ fruits were prepared by treatment with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and the pungency level was investigated by quantification of capsaicinoids, components responsible for the pungency. For comparison, two controls were used: naturally pollinated fruits and 2,4-D-treated pollinated fruits which were exposed to 2,4-D treatment without parthenocarpy. The results indicated that the capsaicinoid content in parthenocarpic fruits tended to be higher compared to the controls. This suggests that the alterations in pungency in ‘Shishito’ were associated with parthenocarpy. Further, these relationships were assessed using a molecular method, and gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR was conducted on 16 capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes. The results showed that eight capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes (Pun1, pAMT, KAS, CaMYB31, BCAT, CaKR1, ACL, and FAT) exhibited parthenocarpy-specific high expression, suggesting that these genes influence capsaicinoid biosynthesis and the pungency levels in parthenocarpic fruits. This is a novel report that carefully investigated the parthenocarpy-dependent changes in the pungency traits of chili pepper. We anticipate that the data will add to horticultural knowledge and help control the pungency of ‘Shishito’ fruits during cultivation.
Thread spray ambient ionization uses single threads as a medium for sampling and ionization. This approach was demonstrated through the detection of various capsaicinoids from the interior of pepper ...fruits without destruction of the sample. Pepper residues present on the thread were analyzed by the application of DC voltage and solvent to cause field-induced charged droplet generation. Capsaicinoids extracted from the sample are contained in the electrosprayed droplets and transported to the mass spectrometer for characterization. The thread spray mass spectrometry method was optimized using commercially available materials like 100% cotton, cotton:polyester (35/65), 100% polyester, and nylon fabrics and subsequently applied for in-situ analysis of six different pepper fruits and pepper spray residues on fabrics. The results indicated that the special physico-chemical characteristics of threads allowed a rapid and convenient sampling and ionization of pepper products for analysis by mass spectrometry. The total capsaicinoid ion yields for the various pepper products correlated very well with that reported in Scoville Heat Units, suggesting that quantitative assessment of pungency levels may be achieved via the direct sample analysis without prior separation.
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•Thread spray is capable of sustaining ion current longer than all other substrate-based ambient ionization techniques.•Thread spray ionization enables direct analysis of trace chemical residues on fabrics, without extensive sample preparation.•Thread is introduced as an effective way for storing forensic evidentiary garments, an approach expected to reduce backlogs.•Thread spray enables the sampling and quantitative analysis of fruit interior without complete destruction of the fruit.
Herein we report the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis of a mixture of capsaicinoids, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin obtained from chili peppers, and the utilization of the isolated fatty acids ...for the modification of coconut oil using enzyme catalyzed acidolysis. This work was carried out as the fatty acids that can be isolated from capsaicinoid hydrolysis have been shown to possess interesting biological properties. These biological properties could be better exploited by incorporating the fatty acids into a suitable delivery vehicle. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the mixture of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin was carried out using Novozym® 435 in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at 50°C. The enzyme catalyst could be reused in multiple cycles of the hydrolysis reaction. The desired 8-methyl-6-trans-nonenoic acid and 8-methylnonanoic acid were isolated from the hydrolysis reaction mixture using a simple extraction procedure with a 47.8% yield. This was carried out by first extracting the reaction mixture at pH 10 with ethyl acetate to remove any dissolved capsaicinoids and vanillyl amine side product. The fatty acids were isolated after adjustment of the pH of the reaction mixture to 5 and second extraction with ethyl acetate. The acidolysis of coconut oil with the obtained fatty acids was performed using Lipozyme® TL IM. The performance of the acidolysis reaction was evaluated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and verified in selected cases using gas chromatography. The best performing conditions involved carrying out the acidolysis reaction at 60°C with a 1.2 w/w ratio of the fatty acids to coconut oil and 10% enzyme loading for 72 h. This resulted in the incorporation of 26.61% and 9.86% of 8-methyl-6-trans-nonenoic acid and 8-methylnonanoic acid, respectively, into the modified coconut oil product. This product can act as a potential delivery vehicle for these interesting compounds.
To this day, many species of peppers, genus Capsicum, have been identified and are the subject of several researches. However, only 5 are commonly used: C. annuum; C. baccatum; C. chinense; C. ...frutescens and C. pubescens. When associated with a healthy diet, the frequent intake of peppers has been positively correlated to improvements in human health. Most effects are due to the presence of a wide range of bioactive compounds, responsible for their functional properties as well as their technological potential as a food additive. Among the bioactive compounds present in these fruits are capsaicinoids, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, vitamins C and E.
The goal of this review is to summarize the main findings regarding the bioactive compounds found in peppers and their technological and functional applications.
Key Findings and Conclusions: Results show that despite all health claims and technological potential reported, not all species were thoroughly studied and their potential is still unclear.
•Few species of peppers have been studied respect to their bioactive compounds.•Peppers present technological properties of relevant industrial interest.•Capsicum peppers as a valuable source of functional ingredient.
Pepper (Capsicum spp) is cultivated and consumed in almost every region of the world both as fresh vegetable and dried spice. Capsicum and its different varieties possess many valuable properties ...which distinguish them from other vegetables and in many food items as a spice for its strong pungent flavor that is produced during the secondary metabolism of the plant.Capsicum fruit exhibits a multiple color profile due to the presence of carotenoids which can be used as a natural coloring agent and antioxidant. Almost all the parts of the capsicum are considered a rich source of health-related bioactive compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, and other aromatic compounds. One of the important biological properties of capsicum is its ability to act as antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress leading to the prevention of several degenerative diseases. The functional compounds of capsicum exhibit excellent antimicrobial properties, particularly against gram-positive pathogenic microorganisms. The nutraceutical functionality of phytogenic compounds obtained from capsicum also confirms the anticarcinogenic and cardio-preventive effectiveness. The essential oils from capsicum are also being used as anti-aging substances in cosmetic products. Accordingly, this article is an attempt to provide an overview of the chemical and functional properties of the bioactive compounds sourced from capsicum and their effective utilization in the medicine, food, agricultural, cosmetic, and textile industries.Keywords: Capsicum, capsaicinoids, capsaicin, carotenoids, pungency
We examined if 12 weeks of capsaicinoid (CAP) supplementation affected appetite, body composition and metabolic health markers. Seventy seven healthy male and female volunteers (30 ± 1 y, ...171.2 ± 9.8 cm, 81.0 ± 2.2 kg, 27.5 ± 0.6 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to ingest either low-dose CAP (2 mg/d; L-CAP, n = 27), high-dose CAP (4 mg/d; H-CAP, n = 22) from Capsimax or placebo (corn starch; PLA, n = 28) for 12 weeks. At baseline (0 WK), 6 weeks (6 WK) and 12 weeks (12 WK) waist: hip ratio, body composition via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA, 0 WK and 12 WK only), self-reported Calorie intakes, appetite levels via Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ) and serum metabolic health markers (0 WK and 12 WK only) were analyzed. Moreover, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered at 0 WK and 12 WK, and serum glucose and insulin responses were examined 30–120 min post test-drink consumption. Waist: hip ratio significantly decreased in L-CAP from 0 WK to 6 WK (p < 0.05), although supplementation did not significantly affect body composition. H-CAP consumed less kcal/d compared to PLA at 12 WK (difference = 257 kcal/d, p < 0.05) and L-CAP participants at 12 WK (difference = 247, p < 0.05). Twenty-three percent (9/39) of the originally-enrolled H-CAP participants reported GI distress, although no participants in the L-CAP group reported such adverse events. Interestingly, H-CAP participants presented significant increases in serum insulin as well as significant decreases in serum HDL cholesterol levels from WK0 to WK12. However, supplementation did not affect the insulin response to the administered OGTT and/or other indices of insulin sensitivity. These data suggest that H-CAP supplementation reduces self-reported energy intake after 12 weeks of supplementation, and L-CAP supplementation also reduces waist: hip ratio. Longer-term effects of capsaicinoid supplementation on basal insulin and cholesterol levels warrant further investigation.
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