Comparative Study of Capsaicinoid Composition in Capsicum Peppers Grown in Brazil

Figures & data

TABLE 1 Different varieties of Capsicum peppers analyzed: Popular Brazilian name; stage of maturation (respective color)

C. Chinese	C. Annuun
Habenero; ripe (red)	Jalapeño; ripe (red)
Cumari; ripe (light yellow)	Pimenta Preta; unripe (dark purple)
Chinesa; ripe (light yellow)	Pimenta de Mesa; unripe (purple)
Bode Vermelha; ripe (red)	C. baccatum
Bode Amarela; ripe (yellow)	Dedo-de-Moça Grande; ripe (red)
Cheiro Verde; unripe (green)	Dedo-de-Moça Pequena; ripe (red)
Biquinho; ripe (red)	Cambuci Verde; unripe (green)
Fatalli; ripe (light yellow)	Cambuci Vermelha; ripe (red)
Naga Jolokia; ripe (red)	C. frutescens
Baiana; ripe (red)	Malagueta Vermelha; ripe (red)
Murupi; ripe (light yellow)	Malagueta Verde; unripe (green)

FIGURE 1 UHPLC chromatogram of Malagueta Verde extract.

FIGURE 2 Mass spectrum of (A) nordihydrocapsaicin; (B) capsaicin; (C) dihydrocapsaicin; (D) homocapsaicin; and (E) homodihydrocapsaicin.

TABLE 2 Individual capsaicinoid content (μg/g ± SD) of Brazilian Capsicum peppers and their percentage in terms of the total capsaicinoids (%)

Pepper	n-DHC		C		DHC		h-C		h-DHC		Total capsaicioids
	(μg/g)	%	(μg/g)	%	(μg/g)	%	(μg/g)	%	(μg/g)	%	(μg/g)
Habanero	10.5^f ± 0.6	0.72	1099^cd ± 55	75.04	330^cde ± 25	22.56	19.2^c ± 0.9	1.31	5.5^e ± 0.2	0.37	1464^cd ± 80
Cumari	10.3^f ± 0.5	0.68	1315^c ± 75	86.76	190^efg ± 16	12.57	nd	–	nd	–	1516^bcd ± 91
Chinesa	7.1^f ± 0.3	4.99	111^fg ± 6	78.35	12^h ± 1	8.62	11^c ± 1	8.03	nd	–	142^g ± 9
Bode Vermelha	nd	–	211^fg ± 8	86.85	32^h ± 2	13.15	nd	–	nd	–	242^g ± 6
Bode Amarela	nd	–	88^fg ± 9	81.26	20^h ± 1	18.74	nd	–	nd	–	109^g ± 78
Cheiro Verde	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd
Biquinho	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd
Fatalli	70^cd ± 4	7.43	321^f ± 17	34.20	523^b ± 19	55.79	24^bc ± 1	2.58	nd	–	938^ef ± 33
Naga Jolokia	538^a ± 59	6.75	4457^a ± 393	55.94	2358^a ± 202	29.59	573^a ± 45	7.19	42^a ± 2	0.53	7968^a ± 700
Baiana	nd	–	856^de ± 26	82.24	185^efg ± 5	17.76	nd	–	–	–	1041^de ± 31
Murupi	11.2^f ± 0.9	0.56	1753^b ± 109	87.21	237^def ± 19	11.82	nd	–	8.4^e ± 0.7	0.42	2010^b ± 127
Jalapeño	nd	–	3.4^g ± 0.4	24.12	10.7^h ± 0.80	75.88	nd	–	nd	–	14.1^g ± 0.7
Pimenta Preta	1.74^f ± 0.03	0.59	277^fg ± 2	94.70	13.7^h ± 0.4	4.71	nd	–	nd	–	292^g ± 2
Pimenta de Mesa	114^b ± 14	9.20	654^e ± 54	52.81	452^bc ± 41	36.53	nd	–	18^c ± 2	1.46	1238^cde ± 111
Dedo-de-Moça Grande	18.0^ef ± 0.2	4.23	280^g ± 21	65.74	128^fgh ± 11	30.03	nd	–	nd	–	425^fg ± 31
Dedo-de-Moça Pequena	17.22^ef ± 1.46	7.89	110^g ± 14	50.29	65^gh ± 5	29.95	26^bc ± 2	11.87	nd	–	218^g ± 21
Cambuci Verde	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd
Cambuci Vermelha	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd	–	nd
Malagueta Vermelha	104^bc ± 4	6.50	984^fg ± 61	61.73	494^b ± 50	30.97	nd	–	12.6^d ± 0.9	0.79	1593^bc ± 114
Malagueta Verde	57^de ± 3	4.48	751^fg ± 66	58.58	383^bcd ± 40	29.86	52^b ± 4	4.09	38^b ± 4	2.99	1282^cde ± 112

Mean composition of three replicates ± SD (standard deviation);

nd: not detected;

Different letters in the same column indicate that the means differ significantly by Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05).

FIGURE 3 Scoville heat units of Brazilian Capsicum peppers.

FIGURE 4 Total phenolic content of fresh peppers.