Kentucky State University
Antioxidants in Hot Pepper Fruits: Variation among Countries of Origin
Institution
Kentucky State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
George Antonious; Tejinder Kochhar
Abstract
Capsicum chinense has been referred to as the most cultivated pepper in South America. The United States Department of Agriculture pepper (Capsicum spp.) germplasm collection contains several thousand members or accessions. Many of these species and cultivars have not been analyzed for their concentrations of antioxidant compounds. The main objective of this investigation was to select candidate accessions of hot pepper having high concentrations of capsaicin, ascorbic acid, and phenolic content among countries of hot pepper origin for use as parents in breeding for these compounds to produce fruits with value-added traits. Seeds of 63 hot pepper accessions of C. chinense accessions were collected from Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and United States. Seeds were field grown in a silty-loam soil and their mature fruits were analyzed for capsaicin, ascorbic acid, and phenols content. Fruits of C. chinense accession PI-640900 (USA) contained the greatest concentration (P< 0.05) of capsaicin (1.52 mg g-1 fresh fruit) and dihydrocapsaicin (1.16 mg g-1 fresh fruit), while total major capsaicinoids in the fruits of PI-438648 (Mexico) averaged 2 mg g-1 fresh fruit. PI-152452 (Brazil) and PI-360726 (Ecuador) contained the greatest concentrations of ascorbic acid (1.2 and 1.1 mg g-1 fresh fruit, respectively), while PI438648 (Mexico) contained the greatest concentration of total phenols content (349 µg g-1 fresh fruit) among the other 63 accessions tested. These accessions were identified as potential candidates for mass production of major antioxidants that have health-promoting properties.
Antioxidants in Hot Pepper Fruits: Variation among Countries of Origin
Capsicum chinense has been referred to as the most cultivated pepper in South America. The United States Department of Agriculture pepper (Capsicum spp.) germplasm collection contains several thousand members or accessions. Many of these species and cultivars have not been analyzed for their concentrations of antioxidant compounds. The main objective of this investigation was to select candidate accessions of hot pepper having high concentrations of capsaicin, ascorbic acid, and phenolic content among countries of hot pepper origin for use as parents in breeding for these compounds to produce fruits with value-added traits. Seeds of 63 hot pepper accessions of C. chinense accessions were collected from Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and United States. Seeds were field grown in a silty-loam soil and their mature fruits were analyzed for capsaicin, ascorbic acid, and phenols content. Fruits of C. chinense accession PI-640900 (USA) contained the greatest concentration (P< 0.05) of capsaicin (1.52 mg g-1 fresh fruit) and dihydrocapsaicin (1.16 mg g-1 fresh fruit), while total major capsaicinoids in the fruits of PI-438648 (Mexico) averaged 2 mg g-1 fresh fruit. PI-152452 (Brazil) and PI-360726 (Ecuador) contained the greatest concentrations of ascorbic acid (1.2 and 1.1 mg g-1 fresh fruit, respectively), while PI438648 (Mexico) contained the greatest concentration of total phenols content (349 µg g-1 fresh fruit) among the other 63 accessions tested. These accessions were identified as potential candidates for mass production of major antioxidants that have health-promoting properties.