Abstract

This study aimed to quantify the contents of capsaicinoids (capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and nordihydrocapsaicin) in the Capsicum baccatum L. species grown in soil with different concentrations of organic fertilizer (0, 1, 2 and 4%). The quantification of capsaicinoids was made by reverse-phase chromatography using the high-performance liquid technique (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection. The peppers were harvested from November 2009 to March 2010. The capsaicin content of the fruits of C. baccatum L. was higher for plants grown with organic fertilizer. The highest dihydrocapsaicin contents (10.49 ± 0.38 mg/100 g dry fruits) were obtained from the first harvest of pepper cultivated in soil at 2% organic fertilizer. The content of nordihydrocapsaicin did not change (p≥0.05) with different concentrations of organic fertilizer. The contents of capsaicinoids in pepper fruits varied with the different organic fertilizer concentrations used to grow the crop. Plants grown at 2% organic fertilizer presented the highest capsaicin content, with values of 44.70 ± 3.6 and 50.42 ± 4.80 mg/100 g dry fruits, in the first and second harvest, respectively.

Key words: Red pepper, capsaicinoids, capsaicin, organic fertilizer, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).