Abstract
“Naga Jolokia” (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is a hot pepper variety native to India which has received the attention of the global scientific community due to its high capsaicinoid concentration. The present study evaluated the influence of fruit ripening on the total and individual capsaicinoids, as well as capsiate content. The aim was to determine the optimal moment to harvest the peppers depending on their pungent properties. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using methanol as the extraction solvent and reverse-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-photodiode array (PDA)) were employed. Capsaicinoids gradually accumulated in the peppers from the moment they started growing until they reached a maximum concentration (7.99 ± 0.11 mg g−1 of fresh weight (FW)) at 33 days postanthesis (dpa). For this reason, based on its content of pungent compounds, as it is one of the main attributes of this variety, the optimal time for collection would be on day 33. From then on, there was a sharp decrease (96.35% of the total concentration) due to the peroxidase enzymes. The evolution of the principal capsaicinoids in “Naga Jolokia” peppers had a different behavior with respect to literature reports. After this investigation, these changes in content can be attributed to each pepper genotype. Capsiate content reached it maximum value at 19 dpa (0.27 ± 0.01 mg g−1 of FW). Then, there was a gradual drop due to the activities of different peroxidases. Given the important biological activity of capsaicinoids and capsinoids, the information described here allows for determining the ideal time to harvest “Naga Jolokia” peppers.
Highlights
For several decades, the association between nutrition and health has been gaining popularity, and increased importance has been given to diets based on antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits [1]
The present study focused on the pepper variety known as “Naga Jolokia”
The evolution of capsaicinoid content was monitored during the maturation of the fruits from the 12th dpa
Summary
The association between nutrition and health has been gaining popularity, and increased importance has been given to diets based on antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits [1]. Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the most valued vegetables because of its rich content. The consumption of red peppers (chili peppers) is generally associated with spicy, burning, or pungent sensations, colloquially referred to as “hot flavor”. The pungency of this vegetable is caused by two groups of chemical compounds known as capsaicinoids and capsinoids [4]
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