Search

Carotenoid and ascorbic acid content was determined in peppers of two red cultivars and three yellow lineages of “Jalapeno” (Capsicum annuum L.) plus a “sweet red biquinho” and a “red bode” cultivar (C. chinense Jacquin) from the Brazilian Breeding Program. Capsanthin (68 ± 3 to 177 ± 2 μg/g) was found to be the main carotenoid in the red peppers, and violaxanthin (34 ± 3 to 100 ± 17 μg/g) was the main carotenoid in the yellow jalapeno peppers. Red jalapeno peppers grown in the field (in summer) showed higher zeaxanthin (29 ± 0 and 31 ± 2 μg/g), β-cryptoxanthin (11 ± 1 and 7 ± 0 μg/g), provitamin A (161 ± 2 and 81 ± 2 μg/g) and ascorbic acid (132 ± 2 and 129 ± 2 μg/g) than peppers grown in the greenhouse. Peppers of one yellow jalapeno lineage (C. annuum) and of the red “bode” cultivar (C. chinense) also stood out for their very high levels of zeaxanthin (36 ± 6 and 53 ± 7 μg/g), besides nutritional compounds, provitamin A (222 ± 17 and 299 ± 32 retinol activity equivalents/100 g) and vitamin C (152 ± 5 and 123 ± 1 mg/100 g). These results indicate that the selected peppers presented compounds that are beneficial for human health and that they could be used in the Brazilian pepper breeding programs to develop new commercial hybrids.

Several carotenoids are known to possess many health-promoting properties. Berries from five accessions of Pereskia aculeata Mill. and leaves from 10 accessions of Pereskia aculeata Mill. and Pereskia grandifolia Haw. were evaluated for their carotenoid composition. The xanthophylls found in berries and leaves were mainly unesterified. Berries of four accessions of Pereskia presented very high levels of β-carotene (>20.0 µg/g), and high levels of α-carotene (>5.0 µg/g), while one of these accessions presented very high contents of α-carotene (35.1 µg/g) and β-carotene (39.3 µg/g), together. Leaves presented high levels of carotenes (β-carotene ranged between 13.8 and 47.0 µg/g) and xanthophylls (lutein ranged between 45.8 and 114.2 µg/g and levels of zeaxanthin of four accessions were >5 µg/g). The high levels of α-carotene and zeaxanthin found in berries and leaves, respectively, could be carotenoid biomarker characteristics for Pereskia species, which may be important sources of functional compounds for health-promotion.