Sweet Chili Research Articles

Determination of quality kinetics, microbiology, and sensory properties of shelf-stable chicken-wing sauce

Introduction: The development of shelf-stable foods is necessary to reduce dependence on refrigeration during their storage and distribution. Current trends in shelf-stable foods have seen a continuous rise in consumer demand that triggers research studies in the formulation, shelf stability, processing, and manufacturing of sauces frequently used by the food service industry. This study evaluated the shelf-life stability of chicken wing sauce with different flavors (hot, lemon pepper, sweet chili, teriyaki, and mild).Methods: All sauce formulations were developed and thermally processed to pasteurize using the hot-fill-and-hold (87.75°C for 5 min) method in a portable container which was then kept at ambient temperature (18.35°C ± 2) for 12 months. The samples were drawn periodically and analyzed for color, rheology, sensory, and microbial load.Results: The study’s findings revealed that sauces with different flavors (hot, lemon pepper, sweet chili, teriyaki, and mild) significantly declined in color and appearance, including viscosity, after ten months of storage. A very similar trend was noticed in textural changes. With the advancement of storage time, textural changes became prominent in lemon pepper and sweet chili sauce compared to hot teriyaki and mild sauces. Microbial analyses indicated the absence of pathogenic organisms, and no microbial activity was observed throughout the storage for up to 12 months. Among all sauces studied in this research project, lemon pepper exhibited a drastic decline in flavor, including some rancidity development after seven months of storage.Discussion: Extension of the shelf life and overall quality of the most commonly used sauces in the food service industry is of paramount importance. A better understanding of the changes in the physicochemical properties of sauces during storage can help food processors understand the expected changes.

Performance of sweet chili pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) landraces in three agricultural zones of Puerto Rico

Capsicum chinense is a small aromatic pepper native to the Amazon and widely used in the Caribbean Basin. Most types of C. chinense are highly pungent, but landraces in Puerto Rico generally have little or no pungency. This “sweet chili pepper” (or ají dulce, as it is known on the Island) is an integral part of the local cuisine. Ten sweet chili pepper lines derived from non-pungent landraces were evaluated in Lajas, Juana Díaz and Corozal, Puerto Rico, in 2009. The lines represented a diversity of fruit types common on the Island. Plants in Juana Díaz grew to about twice the height of those in Lajas and Corozal. Fruit yield varied from 809 g/plant in Lajas to 1,420 g/plant in Juana Díaz. Planting density (number of plants per hectare) was greater at Corozal compared to the other two locations, resulting in a yield per hectare similar to that of Juana Díaz (10,210 kg/ha in Juana Díaz; 10,112 kg/ha in Corozal). Yield was much lower in Lajas (6,400 kg/ha). Average fruit weight was greatest at Juana Díaz (12.1 g) and lowest at Corozal (10.0 g). Plant height at 11 weeks was weakly correlated (r = 0.33) with fruit yield. Plants infected by at least one of three genera of viruses, Cucumovirus, Tobamovirus and Potyvirus, were found at each location. Seed weight per 500 seeds averaged 2.34 g. The average fruit produced about 23 seeds. Genotype x environment (GxE) interaction (= line x location) was highly significant for height, number of fruit and fruit yield, but not for average fruit weight. Because of GxE interaction, the best performing lines varied, depending on location. The presence of GxE interaction presents challenges to a sweet chili pepper breeding program. Although it may be difficult to develop cultivars that perform equally well over diverse environments, improved cultivars with virus resistance should result in increased production. More research is needed to better understand the impact that variation in planting density has on sweet chili pepper yields.

RNA sequencing in parthenocarpic chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) fruit reveals genes involved in transcriptional regulation of capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes responsible for the fluctuation of pungency

• RNA-sequencing was used to assess transcriptome changes associated with fluctuation of the pungency in chili pepper fruits. • Pungent fluctuation was associated with changes in gene expressions responsible for metabolic pathways around the biosynthesis of capsaicinoids. • Clustering analysis in genes related to transcriptional regulation was performed using disclosed RNA sequencing data. • The nine genes were noted to exhibit expression patterns similar to those of capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes. • Transcript levels in most of these nine genes were proportional to the pepper pungency levels and are inferred to contribute to the fluctuation of pungency. Chili peppers ( Capsicum spp.) are a popular horticultural crop; the characteristic hot taste of chili peppers is the result of a class of compounds called capsaicinoids. In the horticultural production of such peppers, fluctuations in pungency (changes in capsaicinoid content) are an important issue, given that this fluctuation can cause confusion in the distribution or deterioration of pepper quality. Here, we sought to clarify the mechanism of this variation in pungency, specifically by investigating this variation at the transcriptome level. In the present study, we used the pungency-variable sweet chili pepper ‘Shishito’ ( C. annuum ) and created high-pungency seedless fruits by parthenocarpic treatment. RNA-sequencing analysis then was used to comprehensively compare gene expression in these fruits with that in less-pungent seeded fruits. We firstly profiled differentially expressed genes (DEGs) contributing to metabolic pathways involved with capsaicinoid biosynthesis. Subsequently, we employed clustering analysis (using previously published RNA-sequencing data) to explore changes in the expression of genes encoding putative transcription factors that might serve as regulators of the capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes (CABGs). Specifically, we screened nine DEGs ( CaMYB31, WRKY9, TF62308, TF60920, TF62062, TF75838, ACOT9, TF62804 , and TF64623 ) that have gene ontology related to the regulation of transcription, and found that the expression patterns of these DEGs were similar to those of several CABGs. We also employed quantitative reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction to investigate the expression (in the pungency-varied fruits) of these DEGs with putative roles in transcription. Accordingly, we observed that the transcript levels in most of these DEGs correlated positively with the amount of capsaicinoid in the placental septum. Therefore, we postulate that these DEGs with putative transcriptional regulatory roles are involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis, such that the transcript levels of these DEGs may contribute to the fluctuation of pepper pungency.

Study of the technical efficiency of the sweet chili (Capsicum chinense) in the producing regions of the Colombian Caribbean

Sweet pepper cultivation is one of the more important activities in the Caribbean region, cultivated by approximately 4,284 farmers with the family farming system, in areas ranging from 0.25 to 2.0 ha. In the literature for this region, there is no evidence of a study that has investigated the technical efficiency of this production system. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the technical efficiency of the use of resources by sweet chili farmers in the Caribbean producing areas of Colombia. The sample was 62 farmers, surveyed via simple random sampling from the use of statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture of Colombia. A Cobb Douglas-type functional model was formulated. The contribution of the variables seed, labor, fertilizer, weeds and yields in the productive units was determined. The results showed that labor and weed management had a positive effect on production increases. There was inefficiency with production gaps of 0.18% and efficiency of 82%; a production deficit of 1 t ha-1 was observed. There were returns on an increasing scale that was explained by the direct relationship between the inputs of labor and weed management.

Study of the sweet chili pepper (Capsicum chinense) production system in the Caribbean region of Colombia: a technological and socio-economic perspective

The objective of this work was to characterize technologically and economically the sweet chili pepper production system in the Caribbean region of Colombia. A survey was applied to 60 farmers using the simple random sampling technique. The economic returns were analyzed in the producing areas of San Juan del Cesar, in the department of La Guajira, and Ponedera, in the department of Atlántico, with an average of 0.6 hectares of the areas used for planting the sweet chili pepper. The average age of the farmers is 51 years old, with more than 11 years of experience in this crop. The results present differences in terms of production efficiency; for example, it was found that it is higher for the town of San Juan del Cesar, which is explained because the yields are higher by 7 t/ha- 1. In this zone, the net income is higher by a difference of COP 6.399.270 ha-1, concerning the town of Ponedera. It is concluded that the productive chain is not well integrated since the margins of commercialization, in general, are 0.69, which reveals that the farmer is the one who least participates in this surplus generated by the market.

The pungent-variable sweet chili pepper 'Shishito' (Capsicum annuum) provides insights regarding the relationship between pungency, the number of seeds, and gene expression involving capsaicinoid biosynthesis.

Pungent traits caused by capsaicinoids are characteristic of chili peppers (Capsicum spp.), and the pungent-variable sweet chili pepper 'Shishito' (Capsicum annuum) is unique in being known for the pungency in fruits with few seeds. In the present study, we tried to clarify the relationship between the number of seeds and pungency in 'Shishito'. First, we investigated the pungency of 'Shishito' by simple sensory evaluations and quantifications of capsaicinoids by high-performance liquid chromatography. As a result, few-seeded fruits had a larger fluctuation of capsaicinoid content than many-seeded ones. This indicates that the number of seeds, in particular a decrease of the seeds, has some sort of connection with the pungency of 'Shishito'. Then, we analyzed the relationship between pungency and gene expression involving capsaicinoid biosynthesis at the individual fruit level. We vertically separated the placental septum in which capsaicinoids are synthesized and performed quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for 18 genes involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis. We also used the placental septum for capsaicinoid quantification so that the gene expression levels and capsaicinoid contents in the same fruits were obtained, and their correlations were analyzed using 20 biological replicates. Among the 18 genes, expression levels of 11 genes (WRKY9, CaMYB31, AT3, BCAT, BCKDH, KAS I, KAS III, ACL, CaKR1, FAT, and pAMT) had a significant positive correlation with the capsaicinoid concentration, and they were considered to upregulate capsaicinoid biosynthesis. These results provide new insights regarding the environmental variation of the pungency traits in chili peppers and the relationship between pungency, the number of seeds, and gene expression involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis.

Parthenocarpy Induced Fluctuations in Pungency and Expression of Capsaicinoid Biosynthesis Genes in a Japanese Pungency-variable Sweet Chili Pepper ‘Shishito’ (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>)

Parthenocarpy Induced Fluctuations in Pungency and Expression of Capsaicinoid Biosynthesis Genes in a Japanese Pungency-variable Sweet Chili Pepper ‘Shishito’ (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>)

Evaluation of phenolics, capsaicinoids, antioxidant properties, and major macro‐micro minerals of some hot and sweet peppers and ginger land‐races of Malaysia

There are compelling evidences that oxidative stress plays important role in age-related neurodegenerative diseases and natural food-derived dietary antioxidants appear to be the first line of defence to take care of the oxidative stress. The analysis results of this study showed that Cili Burung of the hot pepper landraces contained the highest amount of TPC (1.00 mg/g DW), TFC (0.17 mg/g DW), capsaicinoids (0.05 mg/g), and the highest FRAP activity (439 mg/g DW). However, DPPH assay revealed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 = 250 μg/ml) in Halia Bara rhizome. Rhizomes of both landraces of ginger showed a significant amount of capsaicinoids. Hot pepper Cili Ungu (5.50 g/kg) and sweet pepper Cili Kulai had the highest P contents (~5.5 g/kg). Halia Bentong ginger rhizome had the highest content of K (33.84 g/kg); however, Halia Bentong ginger roots had remarkably greater contents of Ca (10.96 g/kg). Ginger rhizomes and roots had greater contents of micro minerals compared to hot and sweet chili peppers. Ginger roots contained good amounts of bioactive compounds and mineral nutrients indicating its commercial value. Practical applications The findings of the research are truly very informative and potential for a greater health benefits of all types of health conscious generation of all ages. Depending on the greater contents of the measured bioactive compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, and mineral nutrients) in Chili Burung from among the hot peppers and Cili Solok from among the sweet peppers and both ginger landraces may thus be suitable for commercial production and can serve as potential parents in breeding programs for enhanced phytonutrients constituents, or for use in related research. The presence of high phenolic and flavonoid contents in Chili Burung and gingers indicated their potentiality in pharmaceutical and ethnomedicinal uses. A good amount of bioactive compounds in ginger roots indicated its commercial value. And this is the first research reported on capsaicin in ginger; however, our findings do not preclude chemo-profiling of capsaicinoids in ginger rhizomes for its inevitability.

The effect of some pervasive junk food among school students on biological changes in rats

This work was carried out to study the effect of using various types of junk food commonly used by primary and preparatory school students,and the biological evaluation on male rats Sprague Dawley Strain (70±10 g)the study continued for 45 days. Six groups of rats, each contains 5 rats, were fed on different tested diets Group (1): Control group rats were fed on basal diet. Group (2): rats were fed on basal diet supplemented with 10% of tomato flavor potato Chips. Group (3): rats were fed on basal diet supplemented with 10% of Doritos (sweet chili pepper). Group (4): rats were fed on basal diet supplemented with 10% of Windows (cheese flavor). Group (5): rats were fed on basal diet supplemented with 10% of Sunbites (cheese and herbs). Group (6): rats were fed on basal diet supplemented with 10% of Indomie (chicken curry flavor).Chemical, biological, biochemical and histological tests were carried out.The results indicated that ‎junk food contains high amount of fat and carbohydrates, and relatively low amount of protein and fibers. It also has a bad effect on kidney function, liver enzymes, immunoglobulin serum, brain enzymes, total antioxidant and lipid profile. However, there is an increase in the feed efficiency ratio (FER) and body weight gain (BWG) in all groups compared to the control group although the increase was not significant. It was concluded that junk food has a bad effect on health and may lead to a lot of diseases, especially for school students.We recommend that further studies should be done to find out the type of food additives.

Large-scale profiling of carotenoids by using non aqueous reversed phase liquid chromatography – photodiode array detection – triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry: Application to some varieties of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Analysis of carotenoids is very complex and demanding in terms of both separation and detection. In this article, an analytical strategy relying on high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PAD-MS/MS) is presented for the large-scale screening of these phytochemicals. Separation was realized by means of Non-Aqueous Reversed Phase (NARP) chromatography on a triacontyl stationary phase kept at subambient temperature, using a mobile phase compatible with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The standards of 14 analytes were used to optimize the method and to predict the chromatographic behaviour of untargeted carotenoids. MS and MS/MS data, obtained during Information Dependent Acquisition (IDA) experiments, were utilized to set up a sensitive HPLC- selected reaction monitoring (SRM) method. Relative abundance between SRM ion currents (ion ratio) allowed the MS distinction of structural isomers (for example, bicyclic, monocyclic and acyclic isomers), while the identification of geometrical isomers was based on Qratio and fine structure, as calculated from UV–vis spectra. The comparison of LC-PAD- SRM chromatograms, acquired after applying two different extraction procedures (matrix solid-phase dispersion and overnight cold saponification), allowed verifying that sweet peppers are a good source of xanthophylls, prevalently occurring as esterified forms. The overall strategy could identify more than 40 carotenoids in some sweet pepper varieties (Jolly, horn and sweet chili pepper) available on the Italian and European food market.

Indonesian red chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) capsaicin and its correlation with their responses to pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum

Red chili is a commercial crop for the food industry in Indonesia. There are some categories of red chili based on their pungency. The hot chili usually has more capsaicin than the sweet chili. Some cultivars may have more resistance to pathogen infection than the others. This research aimed to analyze the disease resistance of red chili cultivars from Indonesia against pathogenic Fusariumoxysporum and the correlation with capsaicin contents. Disease resistance was examined by determination of the Disease Severity Index (DSI) 15 dpi (days post inoculation). The correlation was analyzed by the regression coefficient. The result showed that the most resistance cultivar against F. oxysporum was Branang, while Lembang-1displayed the contrary. There was not a correlation of capsaicin content with the chili resistance to F. oxysporum.

Evaluation of the Kinetics of Drying Sweet Chili (<em>Capsicum annuum</em>) in a Tray Dryer

This study establishes the kinetics regarding the drying process of sweet chili (<em>Capsicum annuum</em>), in order to obtain flour through a tray dryer. The sweet chili samples of 9±0.2° Brix, humidity 91.18% and green coloration were adapted to 2.3×2.3 cm dimensions, dried at 50, 60 and 70°C temperatures on a tray dryer with forced air at 2.7m/s, continual weight. The drying curves were adjusted to 12 mathematical models, determined through adjusted R² and the Sum of Squared Errors (SSE) that the Midilli and Kucuk model best describe the drying process at a 50°C temperature (R² of 0.9976 and SSE of 0.012), at 60°C (R² of 0.9972 SSE of 0.011) and 70°C (R² of 0.9960 SSE of 0.012).

Uji Pasar terhadap Buah Pimento di Bali (Studi Kasus di Wilayah Badung dan Denpasar)

ABSTRACTMarket Test on Pimento Fruits at Bali (Case Study in Badung andDenpasar Region)Pimento is one of potencial agriculture comodity will be developed. Pimento is one ofa plant in category of chilli genus and its category of sweet chilli. Present Pimento are manyconsumed by at the high class consumer and foreign, and its selling just only at certaintsupermarket. Paprika is easier got and many sell at market. This study aims to find outwhether the pimento fruits able to compete with Paprika which has been exist in the market,to know whether Pimento fruits able to accept or not by the public in the market, to knowwhat indicators become consumer considerations to buy and to consume Pimento. This studywas conducted in Badung region especially Kuta area and conducted at supermarket that sellPimento. Sample of consumer are 31 persons who was taken. Data analysis in was conductedby descriptive analysis and Mann Whitney test.The result shows Pimento fruits is not yet able to compete with Paprika fruits.Pimento price is Rp144.935,48/ kg, four times more expensive than Paprika that only Rp35.854,83/kg. Mean of Paprika sales was 2,29 kg/person/month than Pimento was only 0,63kg/person/month and mean of frequency the Paprika purchased by people 9,74 times/monthmore than Pimento that was only 3,19 times/month. Present Pimento acceptance is limited atmiddle class and foriegn and just only sell at certain place. Indicator become consumerconsideration to buy Pimento as follows forms, aroma, colour, taste, and benefit as maincourse.We recommended that Pimento fruits need for wider production and promotion,marketing place, more marketed segmentation and cheaper price.Keywords: market test, Pimento, Paprika

Health Threats from Contamination of Spices Commercialized in Romania: Risks of Fungal and Bacterial Infections.

The study of fungal contamination in food and mycotoxicoses is a priority today, both internationally and nationally. The purpose of this study is to have a general view over the quality of the most common spices that are sold in Romanian markets, by assessing the degree of fungal, bacterial and mycotoxin contamination in pepper and chili powders. We tested four types of spices: white pepper, black pepper, sweet and hot chili powders from 12 different distributing companies, summing a total of 35 sample types. The fungal and bacterial load was assessed by Standard Plate Count, while the mycotoxin content by High-performance liquid chromatography. Environmental conditions (humidity, pH) and the selling price for each product were also followed. Fungi were observed in 72.7% of black pepper samples, 33.3% in white pepper, 30% in sweet chili and 25% in hot chili products. The most common isolated fungus was Aspergillus spp., while Rhizopus, Mucor, Fusarium, Penicillium, Absidia species were found, in smaller percentage. Four producers (44.4%) presented fungal contamination of over 10^3 CFU/g and two producers (22.2%) presented no fungal contamination in their products. Bacterial contamination was found in 85.7% of the tested products, consisting mostly in Bacillus spp. Aflatoxin B1 was present in all the tested products, mostly in black pepper (mean value 126.3 ng/g); Ochratoxin A was present in sweet chili (mean value 328 ng/g) and Zearalenone in hot chili (mean value 604 ng/g) and sweet chili (mean value 382 ng/g). All spices presented either fungal contamination, mycotoxin contamination, or both. The high humidity and the high pH of spices represent favorable conditions for fungal growth. The selling price was partly related to the physic-chemical conditions and microbiological quality of the spices.

First Report of Tomato chlorotic spot virus in the Non-Solanaceous Weeds Erect Spiderling (Boerhavia erecta), Asian Spiderflower (Cleome viscosa), and Sweet Chili Pepper (Capsicum chinense) in Puerto Rico

Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) has recently been detected in tomato, bell pepper, jimsonweed, and lettuce in Puerto Rico. Observations of weeds and additional crops in 2015 and 2016 revealed TCSV-like symptoms. Testing of these symptomatic plants identified three new hosts of TCSV in Puerto Rico: erect spiderling (Boerhavia erecta); Asian spiderflower (Cleome viscosa); and sweet chili pepper (Capsicum chinense).

Characterization and identification of gamma-irradiated sauces by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using different sample pretreatments

Tomato ketchup, barbeque sauce, sweet chili sauce, and spaghetti sauce were gamma irradiated at 0, 1, 5, and 10kGy. Electron spin resonance (ESR) technique was used to characterize the irradiated sauces, targeting radiation-induced cellulose radicals and using a modified sample pretreatment method. The samples were first washed with water, and then the residues were extracted with alcohol. The non-irradiated sauces exhibited the single central signal, whose intensity showed a significant increase on irradiation. The ESR spectra from the radiation-induced cellulose radicals, with two side peaks (g=2.02012 and g=1.98516) equally spaced (±3mT) from the central signal, were also observed in the irradiated sauces. The improvements in the central (natural) and radiation-induced (two side peaks corresponding to the cellulose radicals) signal intensities were obvious, when compared with routine freeze-drying and alcoholic-extraction techniques.

Effect of γ-irradiation on physical quality attributes and identification properties of different sauces

Gamma-irradiated (0, 1, and 10 kGy) ketchup (KTP), barbeque sauce (BBQ), and sweet chili sauce (SWC) were identified using photostimulated-luminescence (PSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and characterized for physical properties like Brix, consistency, and color. PSL-based screening showed negative results for all nonirradiated samples, while intermediated results were found for irradiated samples. Routine density separation method for mineral extraction provided better TL results; however, alkaline and acid hydrolysis could ease the process with acceptable results. A slight decrease in consistency of all the samples was observed. Brix of KTP remained unchanged, while increase of same was obvious in BBQ and SWC following irradiation. The Hunter L* value of the γ-irradiated sauces decreased except SWC samples, and the a* and b* values showed a general increase compared to the non-irradiated samples. The studied methods have potential to successfully identify and characterize the irradiated sauces for technical and regulatory requirements.

Sweet chilli in the soup

Psychotherapists know a great deal about child development, attachment theory, systems theory and ways of relating. They have a lot to contribute to the education system, which is currently in need of a great deal of help. Teachers in the grip of the current crisis for the education system are compromised in their ability to think about children's experiences and to create an environment where children feel safe, understood and cared about. This paper posits ideas as to why the system is failing children and teachers. It explores ways in which psychotherapeutic understanding could help to fire up the "grey soup" of the education system, and at the same time soothe the palate of teachers and the children in their care.