Influence of drying on final content of capsaicinoids in selected varieties of chili peppers

B.Sc. Cesar Orlando Fonseca Cruz

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Chili peppers from different Capsicum species are used worldwide in food preparations for their pungent flavour. Additionally, their nutritional value and health promoting substances has arisen the interest of food and pharmacological industries. The high demand for chili peppers makes necessary the use of drying for their preservation. Nonetheless, the drying process can influence the flavour and nutritional qualities of chilies by affecting the concentration of different substances; among them those responsible for pungency, called capsaicinoids. This thesis investigates the influence of drying on the final content of capsaicinoids in selected Capsicum species. Fully ripen fruits of 11 different cultivars, not previously studied, were analysed. Part of the samples were evaluated as fresh and the rest was prepared in three different ways (whole, cut in half, mashed) and dried separately at 40 and 60 °C. Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin were quantified by means of GC-MS to estimate the pungency in both dried and fresh peppers. Pungency values for fresh peppers ranged between 90,927 and 381,639 SHU. The influence of drying on capsaicinoids changed diversely depending on the variety of chili pepper. Mashed pre-treatment in combination with 60 °C temperatures showed significant reductions in capsaicinoids contents, as much as 59%. Meanwhile, at 40 °C significant improvements were evidenced for whole and half-piece preparations, up to 43 % and 74%, respectively. Different behaviours between individual capsaicinoids in relation to the different drying conditions were observed as well.

Keywords

Chili pepper, Dihydrocapsaicin, Pungency, Capsaicin, Drying, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 27. 4. 2017

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Jan Banout, Ph.D.
• Reader: Pavel Klouček, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Sustainable Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics