Nutritive and bioactive compounds in hot fruits of Capsicum annuum L. from Macedonia

Abstract

In the pericarp, placenta and seed of red hot pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L. ssp. microcarpum longum conoides convar. Horgoska), the quantity of proteins, minerals, cellulose and reductive sugars, as well as the quantity of capsaicinoids and carotenoids was determined. The protein content in pericarp, seed and placenta was 14.13%, 20.88%, and 25.19% from the total dry matter weight (DM), respectively. The pericarp was the richest in cellulose (26.37% DM) compared to the cellulose content in the seed (22.66% DM) and pericarp (15.05% DM). The average quantity of potassium and magnesium in seed was 5209 and 4176 mg kg-1 DM. The largest quantity of coloured substances expressed in the capsanthin content (0.42 g 100 g-1 DM) was determined in pericarp. Capsaicin content in DM weight of pericarp, seed and placenta was 5.38 mg g-1, 2.36 mg g-1 and 10.48 mg g-1, respectively. The Scoville hot value of 109 923 SHU calculated in the pericarp revealed that this pepper variety can be qualified as very pungent. The high contents of total capsaicinoids in the placenta (16.91 mg g-1 DM) and in the seed, (3.51 mg g-1 DM) were determined. Although are designated as not edible parts of hot red pepper fruits, placenta and seed are promising source for obtaining of valuable nutritive and biological compounds confirmed by the results of this study.

Keywords

• capsicum annuum l., chemical composition, macro and microelements, capsanthin, capsaicinoids