Transcript Slide 1

Phytochemicals in pepper
By
Yona Netha
Vamsi Reddy
CITRUS CENTER WESLACO
History
 Peppers were named by Christopher Columbus and
Spanish explorers who were searching for peppercorn
plants that produce the spice known as black pepper.
 In 1492, Columbus and his explorers discovered
sweet and hot peppers in the West Indies and took
samples back to Europe.
 There, they were used as a substitute for black
pepper, which was very expensive since it had to be
imported from Asia.
 Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is credited with
introducing chili peppers into Africa and Asia
Taxonomy
Order : Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Capsicum L.
The most common species of chili peppers are:
 Capsicum annuum, which includes many common varieties
such as bell peppers, paprika, cayenne, jalapeños, and the
chiltepin
 Capsicum frutescens, which includes the tabasco peppers
 Capsicum chinense, which includes the hottest peppers
such as the naga, habanero and Scotch bonnet
 Capsicum pubescens, which includes the South American
rocoto peppers
 Capsicum baccatum, which includes the South American aji
peppers
ORIGIN
 southern Brazil to Bolivia (McLeod et al. 1982; Eshbaugh et al.
1983; Pickersgill 1984)
 Central America and southern Mexico
 Evidence suggests that C. annuum originally occurred in
northern Latin America and C. chinense in tropical northern
Amazonia (Pickersgill 1971).
 Capsicum pubescens and C. baccatum appear to be more
prevalent in lower South America.
Chile Peppers by Country of
origin/association by McMullan & Julian Livsey (2007
.
)
Just How HOT Are My Chiles?
Wilbur Scoville-1912, developed a
method to measure the heat level of
chile peppers. The test is named after
him, the “Scoville Organoleptic Test”
Scoville units(SHU).
 The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the
amount of capsaicin present in it.
 Bell peppers rank at 0 (SHU).
 Naga Jolokia is a chilli pepper that grows in
northeastern India and Bangladesh is the hottest chili in
the world , measuring over 1,000,000 SHU.
 Pure capsaicin, measures
16,000,000 SHU.
Hot Like No Other
Ghost chilli
Anatomy of the Chili Pepper
Most of the capsaicin is
found on the
longitudinal ribs
inside of the chile
pepper (placenta)
.




trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide, N-(4-Hydroxy-3methoxyphenyl)-8-methyl-non-trans-6-enamide.
Capsaicin and several related compounds are called
capsaicinoids.
Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, crystalline
to waxy compound.
Addition of a branched-chain fatty acid to vanillylamine.
capsaicinoids

Capsaicin is the main capsaicinoid in chilli peppers.

Capsaicin is believed to be synthesized in the
interlocular septa of chilli peppers.

Biosynthesis depends on the gene AT3, which resides at
the pun1 locus.

six natural capsaicinoids.

Vanillylamide of n-nonanoic acid (VNA) is a synthetic
capsaicinoid and is used as a reference substance for
determining capsaicinoids relative pungency.
capsaicinoids
Capsaicinoid name
Abbrev.
Typical
relative
amount
Scoville heat units
Capsaicin
C
69%
15,000,000
Dihydrocapsaicin
DHC
22%
15,000,000
Nordihydrocapsaicin
NDHC
7%
9,100,000
Homodihydrocapsaicin
HDHC
1%
8,600,000
Homocapsaicin
HC
1%
8,600,000
Nonivamide
PAVA
Chemical structure
Nutritional value

Red chilis are very rich in vitamin C and provitamin A.

Yellow and especially green chilis (which are essentially unripe
fruit) contain a considerably lower amount of both substances.

They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and
iron.

It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol),
Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good
source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K,
Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol.
Phenolic compounds and
Antioxidant activity
 Together with vitamins phenolic compounds
form antioxidant complex productive in
eliminating of free radicals.
 the antioxidant potential of compound arise
from free –OH groups and their substitution
in the compound.
 The main phenolic compounds of pepper
fruits are esters of ferulic and sinapic acids
and flavonoids.
antioxidant activity (AOX)
 provitamin A ,carotenoids Betacarotene, Alpha-carotene, and
Beta-cryptoxanthin.
 Flavonoids
 Phenolic acids
 Ascorbic acid
Flavonoids







Quercetin
Luteolin
Apigenin
capsanthin
Myristcin
Hesperidin
Scopoletin
Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity of
Fresh Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Cultivars



Flavonoid, ascorbic acid and total phenolic content and
antioxidant activity of "jalapeño" "yellow wax" "Chile"
"ancho" and "serrano" peppers were investigated at
green or yellow stages of maturity.
"Chile", "yellow wax" and "ancho" peppers had greater
flavonoid and ascorbic acid contents and antioxidant
activities than "jalapeño" peppers.
Luteolin had highest antioxidant activity followed by
capsaicin and quercetin.
*Y. LEE, L.R HOWARD, B. VILLALÓN (1995) Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity of
Fresh Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars Journal of Food Science Volume 60 Issue 3
Page 473-476, May 1995
Anti-oxidant content of different colored
sweet peppers, white, green, yellow,
orange and red (Capsicum annuum L.)



Analyzed for total carotenoids, α-tocopherol, sugars (glucose,
fructose and sucrose), organic acids (citric and ascorbic acids)
and anti-oxidant properties.
The mature fruits contained higher carotenoids, α-tocopherol,
sugars and organic acids than immature fruits.
Among the mature fruits, ‘Signal Red’ was the highest in total
carotenoids, while ‘Signal Orange’ was the highest in αtocopherol. ‘Signal Red’ and ‘Signal Orange’ contained the most
sugars and organic acids.
*Hiroshi Matsufuji et al. Anti-oxidant content of different coloured sweet peppers,
white, green, yellow, orange and red (Capsicum annuum L.). International
Journal of Food Science & Technology.
Antioxidant Activities of Different Colored Sweet
Bell Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)





Antioxidant compounds and their antioxidant activity in 4
different colored (green, yellow, orange, and red) sweet bell
peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were investigated.
The red pepper had significantly higher total phenolics content
than the green pepper.
Among the 4 different colored peppers, red pepper contained a
higher level of β-carotene (5.4 μg/g), capsanthin (8.0 μg/g),
quercetin (34.0 μg/g), and luteolin (11.0 μg/g).
The yellow pepper had the lowest β-carotene content (0.2
μg/g), while the green one had undetectable capsanthin and
the lowest content of luteolin (2.0 μg/g).
The free radical scavenging abilities of peppers determined
were lowest for the green pepper but not significantly different
from the other 3 peppers.
*T. sun et al (2007) Antioxidant Activities of Different Colored Sweet Bell Peppers (Capsicum
annuum L.) Journal of Food Science 72 (2), S98–S102.
Effects of Processing Treatments on
Recovery of Capsaicin in Jalapeno Peppers
 Capsaicin content in frozen, cooked and
canned jalapeno peppers was quantified
using GLC analysis and compared to the
capsaicin content in raw pepper.
 Frozen and canned peppers retained
approximately one-half of the capsaicinoid
compounds that were present in raw
pepper.
*MARY KATE HARRISON, NATHOLYN D. HARRIS (1985)
Effects of Processing Treatments on Recovery of Capsaicin in Jalapeno Peppers
Journal of Food Science 50 (6), 1764–1765.
Health benefits
 Capsaicin was shown, in laboratory settings, to
cause cancer cell apoptosis in rats.
*Athanasiou A, Smith PA, Vakilpour S, et al (2007). "Vanilloid receptor agonists and
antagonists are mitochondrial inhibitors: how vanilloids cause non-vanilloid receptor mediated
cell death". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 354 (1): 50–5.

Recent research in mice shows that chili (capsaicin in
particular) may offer some hope of weight loss for
people suffering from obesity.
* extract may stop fat cell growth By Stephen Daniells 3/1/2007
* Razavi R, Chan Y, Afifiyan FN, et al (2006). "TRPV1+ sensory neurons control beta cell stress and
islet inflammation in autoimmune diabetes". Cell 127 (6): 1123–35
Health benefits
 Canadian researchers used capsaicin
from chilies to kill nerve cells in the
pancreases of mice with Type 1
diabetes, thus allowing the insulin
producing cells to start producing
insulin again.
*Razavi R, Chan Y, Afifiyan FN, et al (2006). "TRPV1+ sensory neurons control beta cell stress
and islet inflammation in autoimmune diabetes". Cell 127 (6): 1123–35.
*Chili extract makes diabetes go away December 15, 2006 The Vancouver Sun
Health benefits
 Research in humans found that "after
adding chili to the diet, the LDL, or
bad cholesterol, actually resisted
oxidation for a longer period of time,
(delaying) the development of a
major risk for cardiovascular disease.
*Chili peppers can improve your health 9/9/2007 Daily Herald
* Ahuja KD, Ball MJ (2006). "Effects of daily ingestion of chilli on serum
lipoprotein oxidation in adult men and women". Br. J. Nutr. 96 (2): 239–42
Health benefits
 Chilli peppers are being probed as a
treatment for alleviating chronic pain.
 By combining an anesthetic with capsaicin,
researchers can block pain in rat paws
without causing temporary paralysis. This
anesthetic may one day allow patients to
be conscious during surgery and may also
lead to the development of more effective
chronic pain treatments.
*Binshtok AM, Bean BP, Woolf CJ (2007). "Inhibition of nociceptors by TRPV1mediated entry of impermeant sodium channel blockers". Nature 449 (7162):
607–10.
* Using Hot Chili Peppers To Relieve Pain. CBS News (2007).
Health benefits
 Spices, including chilli, are theorized
to control the microbial contamination
levels of food in countries with
minimal or no refrigeration.
* Billing J, Sherman PW (1998). "Antimicrobial functions of spices: why some like it hot". The
Quarterly review of biology 73 (1): 3–49.
Health benefits
 Several studies found that capsaicin could
have an anti-ulcer protective effect on
stomachs infected with H. pylori by
affecting the chemicals the stomach
secretes in response to infection.
*Lee IO, Lee KH, Pyo JH, Kim JH, Choi YJ, Lee YC (2007). "Anti-inflammatory effect of
capsaicin in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells". Helicobacter 12 (5): 510–7.
*Satyanarayana MN (2006). "Capsaicin and gastric ulcers". Critical reviews in food science and
nutrition 46 (4): 275–328.
*O'Mahony R, Al-Khtheeri H, Weerasekera D, et al (2005). "Bactericidal and anti-adhesive
properties of culinary and medicinal plants against Helicobacter pylori". World J. Gastroenterol.
11 (47): 7499–507.
Precautions
 A high consumption of chili is
associated with stomach cancer.
*Mathew A, Gangadharan P, Varghese C, Nair MK (2000). "Diet and stomach cancer: a casecontrol study in South India". Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 9 (2): 89–97.
*López-Carrillo L, López-Cervantes M, RoblesDíaz G, et al (2003). "Capsaicin consumption,
Helicobacter pylori positivity and gastric cancer in Mexico". Int. J. Cancer 106 (2): 277–82.
*Archer VE, Jones DW (2002). "Capsaicin pepper, cancer and ethnicity". Med. Hypotheses 59
(4): 450–7. López-Carrillo L, Hernández Avila M, Dubrow R (1994). "Chili pepper consumption
and gastric cancer in Mexico: a case-control study". Am. J. Epidemiol. 139 (3): 263–71
Precautions
 Chilis may sometimes be adulterated
with Sudan I, II, III IIV, Para-Red,
and other illegal carcinogenic dyes.
*Gajda J, Switka A, Kuźma K, Jarecka J (2006). "[Sudan and other illegal dyes--food
adulteration]" (in Polish). Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny 57 (4): 317–23
Precautions
 Aflatoxins and N- nitroso
compounds, which are
carcinogenic, are frequently
found in chili powder.
*(2007) "Final report on the safety assessment of capsicum annuum extract,
capsicum annuum fruit extract, capsicum annuum resin, capsicum annuum fruit
powder, capsicum frutescens fruit, capsicum frutescens fruit extract, capsicum
frutescens resin, and capsaicin". Int. J. Toxicol. 26 Suppl 1: 3–106..
* Fazekas B, Tar A, Kovács M (2005). "Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A content of
spices in Hungary". Food additives and contaminants 22 (9): 856–63..
* Reddy SV, Mayi DK, Reddy MU, Thirumala-Devi K, Reddy DV (2001). "Aflatoxins
B1 in different grades of chillies (Capsicum annum L.) in India as determined by
indirect competitive-ELISA". Food additives and contaminants 18 (6): 553–8.
Precautions
 Chronic ingestion of chili products may
induce gastro esophageal reflux (GER).
 Chili may increase the number of daily
bowel movements and lower pain
thresholds for people with irritable bowel
syndrome.
*Milke P, Diaz A, Valdovinos MA, Moran S (2006). "Gastro esophageal reflux in healthy subjects
induced by two different species of chili (Capsicum annum)". Digestive diseases (Basel,
Switzerland) 24 (1-2): 184–8.
*Agarwal MK, Bhatia SJ, Desai SA, Bhure U, Melgiri S (2002). "Effect of red chillies on small
bowel and colonic transit and rectal sensitivity in men with irritable bowel syndrome". Indian
journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology 21 (5):
179–82
conclusion
 Peppers are a bountiful source of
flavonoids.
 Naturally occurring in plants.
 Protection from various diseases.
 Useful in diet for antioxidant effects.