A Comparative Study of Ascorbic Acid and Capsaicinoid Contents in Red Hot Peppers (Capsicum annum L.) Grown in Southeastern Anatolia Region

The aim of this study was to evaluate selected physico-chemical properties, ascorbic acid, and capsaicinoid (capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, norhydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, and total capsaicinoid) quantities of red hot pepper populations (Capsicum annum L.) grown in the South-Eastern Anatolia Region. Fresh and sun-dried red hot peppers and red hot pepper seed samples were collected from Kahramanmara?, pepper of Kahramanmara?; Gaziantep, pepper of Gaziantep; Kilis, pepper of Kilis; Diyarbak?r, pepper of Diyarbak?r; and ?anl?urfa, pepper of ?anl?urfa in the months of September through October 2010. The collected samples were analyzed in terms of certain quality parameters and capsaicinoid contents, while ascorbic acid amounts were determined only in fresh samples. All of the examined prameters were found to be significant statistically (P < 0.05). From the obtained results, it might be considered that these red hot pepper samples were suitable for cultivation due to their high-nutritional quality.