Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of selected types of chilli peppers

Chilli peppers (Capsicum spp.) are important plants usually consumed as food or used as a spice or medicine. They contain a wide range of phytochemicals such as capsaicinoids, polyphenols (PPH), carotenoids (CC) and vitamins. This study aimed to quantify the contents of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, total PPH, phenolic acids (PHA) and total CC, and the antioxidant activities of the chilli peppers Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia, Habanero Red, Habanero Maya Red, Habanero Red Savina, Jamaica Rosso, Serrano, and Jalapeño. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the contents of the bioactive compounds. The capsaicin contents in the peppers ranged from 2.1 to 124.2 mg.g-1, the dihydrocapsaicin content ranged from 5.1 to 151.3 mg.g-1, the total PPH content ranged from 3.53 to 25.9 mg GAE.g-1, and the total CC content ranged from 114.7 to 1 390.8 μg.g-1. The chlorogenic acid content was highest in Habanero Red (82.6 µg.g-1). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl test of free-radical scavenging activity indicated that the ethanolic extract of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper had the highest antioxidant activity correlated with the contents of phenolic substances.