Bioactive Compounds and Fruit Quality of Green Sweet Pepper Grown under Different Colored Shade Netting during Postharvest Storage

In this study, influence of 3 types of photo‐selective nets (pearl, red and yellow) and a standard black net on marketable yield, fruit quality and bioactive compounds after postharvest storage was investigated. Percentage marketable fruits were higher in green sweet peppers produced under the pearl nets. Fruits produced under the pearl nets showed higher fruit mass, firmness, chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant scavenging activity after postharvest storage. Red/far red photon ratio under the pearl net could have improved the ascorbic acid content and the antioxidant scavenging activity in green peppers. Green sweet peppers grown under the pearl nets had higher hue values and maintained green color longer. Our results showed the impact of modified light quality on the bioactive compounds of green sweet pepper during postharvest storage.     

Carotenoids in pungent and non‐pungent peppers at various developmental stages grown in the field and glasshouse

Carotenoids in edible portions of plants can provide health benefits to humans. How growing conditions affect levels of carotenoids in pepper fruits as they mature is not well known. Five cvs of bell pepper (Bell Captain, Melody, North Star, Ranger, Red Beauty) and five cvs of pungent‐type peppers (Anaheim, Ancho, Cayenne, Pimento, Red Cherry) were grown in a glasshouse and in the field. Fruits were harvested at the green, turning (50% green) and mature red stages and analysed for levels of the carotenoids β‐cryptoxanthin, α‐carotene, β‐carotene, capsanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin and totals of these carotenoids. Levels of provitamin A: retinol equivalents (RE) were derived from levels of β‐cryptoxanthin, α‐carotene and β‐carotene. Levels of most carotenoids and RE were significantly higher in glasshouse‐grown plants, and most were higher in fruits at the red stage. Fruits of Ancho type had the most β‐cryptoxanthin, α‐carotene, β‐carotene, total carotenoids and RE, while fruits of Red Cherry type had the most capsanthin and zeaxanthin, and fruits of Bell Captain had the most lutein. Interactions of the main effects variables, ie location of production (field vs glasshouse), stage of development and cultivar, indicated differences in patterns of carotenoid levels and RE. The data indicated that growing conditions influenced carotenoid levels. The more consistent and protected conditions in the glasshouse may have caused carotenoid levels to be increased, especially at the red stage. Published in 2002 for SCI by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

Changes in the contents of antioxidant compounds in pepper fruits at different ripening stages,as affected by salinity

The interest in the consumption of pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L.) is, to a large extent, due to its content of bioactive nutrients and their importance as dietary antioxidants. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the effects of salinity and different ripening states of pepper fruits on several compounds with antioxidant properties. Fruits from plants grown under three saline treatments (0, 15, and 30 mM NaCl) were collected at three maturity states (green, turning, and red). Antioxidant activity in the hydrophilic (HAA) and lipophilic (LAA) fractions, lycopene, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds and reducing sugars were determined. From the nutritional point of view, the red state was the most appropriate state of maturation, since red peppers had the highest levels of lycopene, β-carotene, and sugars and the highest antioxidant activity for both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions. The effect of salinity depended on the maturity state of the peppers: it had no effect on HAA, β-carotene or sugars, but decreased ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds, and increased LAA and lycopene. The use of a moderately-saline water was beneficial when peppers were harvested in the red state, by increasing HAA and LAA in fruits, with no significant effects on other parameters.     

Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value in ají (Capsicum baccatum L.) and rocoto (C. pubescens R. & P.), 2 pepper species from the Andean region

The carotenoid patterns of fully ripe fruits from 12 Bolivian accessions of the Andean peppers Capsicum baccatum (ají) and C. pubescens (rocoto) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-photodiode array detector (PDA)-mass spectrometry (MS). We include 2 California Wonder cultivars as C. annuum controls. A total of 16 carotenoids were identified and differences among species were mostly found at the quantitative level. Among red-fruited genotypes, capsanthin was the main carotenoid in the 3 species (25% to 50% contribution to carotenoid fraction), although ajíes contained the lowest contribution of this carotenoid. In addition, the contribution of capsanthin 5,6-epoxide to total carotenoids in this species was high (11% to 27%) in comparison to rocotos and red C. annuum. Antheraxanthin and violaxanthin were, in general, the next most relevant carotenoids in the red Andean peppers (6.1% to 10.6%). Violaxanthin was the major carotenoid in yellow-/orange-fruited genotypes of the 3 species (37% to 68% total carotenoids), although yellow rocotos were characterized by lower levels (<45%). Cis-violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and lutein were the next most relevant carotenoids in the yellow/orange Andean peppers (5% to 14%). As a whole, rocotos showed the highest contributions of provitamin A carotenoids to the carotenoid fraction. In terms of nutritional contribution, both ajíes and rocotos provide a remarkable provitamin A activity, with several accessions showing a content in retinol equivalents higher than California Wonder controls. Furthermore, levels of lutein in yellow/orange ajíes and rocotos were clearly higher than California Wonder pepper (≥1000 μg·100/g). Finally, the Andean peppers, particularly red ajíes, can be also considered as a noticeable source of capsanthin, the most powerful antioxidant compound among pepper carotenoids. Practical Application: Capsicum peppers are known for their content in carotenoids, although there is no information about 2 species with Andean origin: ajíes and rocotos. Due to their relevance for the Andean cuisine and increasing importance in ethnic restaurants in Europe, we studied their carotenoid pattern and vitamin A contribution.     

Development of a Method for the Quantitative Estimation of Provitamin A Carotenoids in Some Fruits

A procedure for the quantitative estimation of provitamin A carotenoids beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin and cryptoxanthin esters in some fruits using conventional column and high performance liquid chromatography was developed. The provitamin A carotenoids were first separated by column chromatography on alumina prior to furthur separation and quantitation by reversed phase liquid chromatography. The distribution of provitamin A carotenoids in fruits varied. Among the provitamin A rich fruits, apricot, mango, and cantaloupe contained essentially beta-carotene whereas cryptoxanthin accounted for nearly half the total carotenoids in papaya, persimmon, and tangerine. Peach, red bell papper, oranges and red grapefruits were intermediate in their provitamin A content while tomato, yellow bell pepper, pineapple and watermelon were poor sources. Cryptoxanthin occurred acylated with C₈ to C₁₈ saturated fatty acids in the fruits analyzed.     

Characterisation of antioxidant compounds in sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under organic and conventional growing systems

BACKGROUND: Sweet red bell pepper is one of the best sources of ascorbic acid and carotenoids as well as phenolic compounds important in the human diet. There have been some studies showing a higher level of bioactive compounds in organic bell pepper fruits compared with conventional fruits, but not all studies have been consistent in this respect. The levels of carotenoids and phenolics are very variable and may be affected by ripeness, genotype and cultivation. RESULTS: The results obtained in this study showed that an organic growing system affected the level of bioactive compounds (carotenoids and polyphenols) in sweet bell pepper fruits cultivated in Poland. Organic bell pepper fruits contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, total carotenoids, β‐carotene, α‐carotene, cis‐β‐carotene, total phenolic acids (as well as individual gallic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids (quercetin D ‐glucoside, quercetin and kaempferol) compared with conventional fruits. The bell pepper variety also affected the level of antioxidant compounds in fruits. CONCLUSION: Organic growing increased the level of antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds and vitamin C in sweet bell pepper. The second significant factor affecting the antioxidant compound content of sweet bell pepper was variety. It would be necessary to continue this study as a long‐term experiment in order to eliminate the influence of seasonality. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of manure and mineral fertilisation on pepper nutritional quality

BACKGROUND: The influence of farming systems on fruit quality remains controversial and the different aspects associated with each agricultural management system need to be studied separately to elucidate any specific effect on fruit quality. To this end, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to examine the effect of the usual fertilisation guidelines for pepper cultivation on the nutritional quality of fruits (sugars, vitamin C, total phenolic compounds, chlorophylls, total carotenoids and antioxidant activities in the hydrophilic (HAA) and lipophilic (LAA) fractions). Treatments included manure amendment combined with synthetic fertiliser applied at the rates recommended for organic (T1), low‐input (T2) and conventional (T3) practices. RESULTS: Pepper composition was not affected by increasing mineral fertilisation. In addition, treatment had no significant effect on HAA or LAA. The antioxidant activity of both the hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions increased from the green to the red stage of ripening. HAA contributed about 80% of the total antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: Pepper response to mineral fertilisation seems to be less pronounced than that of other fruits, since antioxidant concentrations did not increase with increasing fertiliser application. Antioxidant activity in pepper was mainly linked to hydrophilic compounds (vitamin C and phenolic compounds). Ripening was the most important factor determining the fruit antioxidant composition. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of processing on anthocyanins,carotenoids and vitamin C in summer fruits and vegetables

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of processing, i.e. heating (98 °C, 10 min), freezing (−20 °C) and freeze-drying on anthocyanins, carotenoids, and vitamin C in summer fruits and vegetables, i.e. cherries, nectarines, apricots, peaches, plums, carrots and red bell peppers. The commodities were collected from growers located in the Otago region (namely Cromwell, Roxburgh, Mosgiel and Clinton), New Zealand. The results revealed that each commodity contained different contents of phytochemicals. The content and the process stability of phytochemicals in each commodity were influenced by the geographical location of the growers. In general, a high content of phytochemicals was found in summer fruits and vegetables grown in Otago compared to those grown in the Northern Hemisphere, e.g. anthocyanins in cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums; total carotenoids in red bell peppers and nectarines and vitamin C in cherries, peaches, red bell peppers and carrots. Heating and freezing enhanced the release of membrane bound anthocyanins, resulting in higher content after processing compared to fresh commodities. In the commodities studied, with the exception of red bell peppers, the stability of ascorbic acid was increased if ascorbic acid oxidase was inactivated for example by heating.     

High hydrostatic pressure treatment as an alternative to pasteurization to maintain bioactive compound content and texture in red sweet pepper

Red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) are an excellent source of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. High hydrostatic pressures (HHP) not only increase shelf-life but also maintain nutritional and organoleptic properties better in a number of food products. The aim of this work was to measure the effect of HHP and a thermal treatment, pasteurization (PA) in a water bath at 70 °C for 10 min, on some bioactive compounds (fibre, carotenoids and antioxidant activity) and on the texture (TPA; firmness and shear force) of red Lamuyo-type sweet peppers, in order to discover the relationship between treatment (HHP and PA), tissue microstructure and bioactive compound extractability. The results show that HHP at 500 MPa and PA treatments had less impact on the microstructure, bioactive compound content (fibre and antioxidant activity) and texture of red sweet peppers, than when low pressures were used. Consequently, new functional foods could be developed using red sweet pepper tissues treated with high pressures (500 MPa) and/or PA.Industrial relevanceToday’s consumers demand foods that are rich in bioactive compounds with beneficial health effects and safer, more natural, minimally-processed food products. Red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) are an excellent source of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and fibre. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing is considered one of the most economically viable of the non-thermal technologies that helps to preserve red sweet peppers with high nutritional and quality parameters. Therefore, it would be interesting to study the microstructure of HHP-treated red sweet pepper tissues in order to discover whether this treatment promotes the extractability of bioactive compounds, and to compare the results with those obtained by pasteurizing the red sweet pepper. Thus, these enhanced red sweet peppers could be used as ingredients in the formulation of new functional foods.     

9个品种干辣椒的品质分析及评价

为分析朝天椒、线椒和角椒3种类型干椒品质差异,对9个特色品种干辣椒（内黄新一代、花溪党武椒和丘北椒三份朝天椒,大方皱椒、沙湾线椒、陕西秦椒和甘谷线椒四份线椒,托县红辣椒和益都红辣椒两份角椒）结构特征值（籽和肉含量）和9项品质指标（粗纤维、糖、脂肪、蛋白质、水分、灰分、类胡萝卜素、辣椒碱类物质和挥发性物质）进行了检测,并通过主成分分析和聚类分析进行干辣椒综合品质评价。结果表明:籽、肉干基占比分别为21%~47%和52%~79%,主要成分为粗纤维、糖、脂肪和蛋白质,含量分别为35%~46%、11%~28%、13%~19%和14%~18%。还原糖占总糖77%~99%;含19~27种脂肪酸,不饱和脂肪酸占总脂肪酸80%以上,其中亚油酸为61%~73%;类胡萝卜素含量为73~458 mg/100 g,以辣椒红素为主（37~221 mg/100 g）;辣椒碱类物质含量18~206 mg/100 g;共检出11类挥发性物质,总含量1.12~7.65 mg/100 g。主成分分析将9项品质指标简化为3个主成分,累计方差贡献率为85.29%,反映了干辣椒品质绝大部分信息。9个品种干辣椒可聚为2类,3个品种的朝天椒为一类、4个品种线椒和2个品种角椒为一类。综合结构特征值及其与品质指标相关性分析发现:籽含量高的朝天椒脂肪、粗纤维和挥发性物质含量高,粗纤维、脂肪含量与籽含量显著正相关（P<0.05）;角椒和线椒果肉含量高,总糖含量高,且总糖与果肉含量显著正相关（P<0.05）。朝天椒是制粉和火锅底料等的优质原料,角椒适宜作制酱原料,线椒类胡萝卜素含量高,可作增色调味和色素提取等的原料,本研究结果可为9个品种干辣椒品质评价及加工辣椒品种选择提供理论参考。     

Provitamin A and Ascorbic Acid Content of Fresh Pepper Cultivars (Capsicum annuum) and Processed Jalapeños

Alpha and beta carotene, provitamin A activity, dehydroascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid and total ascorbic acid content of “jalapeño,”“bell,” long green/red “chile,”“serrano” and “yellow wax” peppers (Cupsicum annuum L.) at green and red stages of maturity were determined by HPLC. Effects of thermal processing on vitamin A and C retention in “jalapeno” peppers was also determined. Provitamin A activity ranged from 27.3 to 501.9 Retinol Equivalents (RE/100g). Ascorbic acid concentration ranged from 76.1 to 243.1 (mg/100g). Provitamin A activity and ascorbic acid content increased with maturity in all cultivars. Thermal processing of “jalapeño” cultivars resulted in a 25% decrease of total provitamin A activity and a 75% decrease in total ascrobic acid.     

Internal quality and antioxidants content of cold-stored red sweet peppers as affected by polyethylene bag packaging and hot water treatment

Physical (weight, firmness) and compositional (sugars, organic acids, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and carotenoids) changes of red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were monitored during 21 days of cold storage (at 7.5 °C); fruits were stored without packaging, packaged in low density polyethylene bags, or after hot water dipping (53 °C for 4 min) and packaging. Packaging prevented water loss, and preserved the firmness of the fresh product. Sugars (fructose and glucose) content was practically constant throughout the whole storage time, for all treatments. A moderate accumulation of citric acid was observed during storage, but no marked effects of packaging and hot water dipping on citric and malic acid content. Ascorbic acid content slightly increased in unpackaged and packaged fruits, but not in treated+packaged peppers. Hydroxycinnamics total content seemed not to be affected by cold storage, packaging or hot water treatment, whereas glycosylated flavonoids showed somewhat lowered levels during storage, particularly in the case of unpackaged and packaged+treated fruits. Regarding carotenoids content, the effect of the considered storage conditions seemed to be much smaller than that due to ripening stage. Provitamin A content showed an increasing trend in unpackaged and packaged fruits; packaged+treated peppers were characterised by a lower retention of provitamin A and a higher level of capsanthin and cucurbitaxanthin A with respect to not treated fruits. On the whole, packaging and hot water treatment did not produce noticeable adverse effects on the majority of the examined compositional quality parameters.     

真空低温油炸对果蔬营养成分的影响

对采用真空低温油炸技术制备的甘薯、马铃薯、胡萝卜、南瓜、苦瓜、苹果等果蔬脆片中的多种营养成分进行检测,并以甘薯为原料分析了真空低温油炸脆片与常压油炸薯片营养成分的差异。结果表明,膳食纤维以紫心甘薯脆片最高,为28.8g/100g;类胡萝卜素含量以红心甘薯脆片和胡萝卜脆片最高,分别为21.3mg/100g和19.6mg/100g;维生素C以马铃薯脆片和红心甘薯脆片含量最高,分别为26.2mg/100g和25.8mg/100g;微量元中素以钾、钙、磷的含量较高,铁和硒含量较低,变异系数:钾>钙>磷>铁>硒。真空低温油炸条件下,甘薯脆片中维生素C、蛋白质及钙、铁、磷等含量均明显高于常压油炸,其中维生素C的保存率约为36%,几乎是常压油炸的3倍;甘薯脆片中的粗脂肪含量只有常压油炸的36.1%。     

Bioactives Screening in Overripe Fruits and Vegetables by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Photodiode Array and Mass Spectrometry Detection

Food waste production generated by large distribution represents an emerging issue due to the large polluting impact and, at the same time, due to the enormous increase of nutrients’ need worldwide. Overripe fruits are considered as “food wastes” despite they could be yet rich sources of food ingredients and bioactives, such as carotenoids and polyphenols. In this work, a phytochemical screening of 20 selected overripe vegetables and fruits was accomplished by liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and mass spectrometry detection. The obtained results showed that the low-sugar-content fruits and vegetables had a higher bioactive content compared to the high-sugar fruits; in particular, tomato, wild swiss chard, green bell pepper, and lettuce leaves were the richest in bioactive phytochemicals. Green bell peppers showed the highest pigment content (875.3 mg/kg), whereas tomato, wild swiss chard, and lettuce leaves showed the highest polyphenol contents, 4541.9, 1692.4, and 712.9 mg/kg, respectively. This is the first work where a large-scale monitoring of bioactives in overripe fruits was carried out and two mixtures of fresh and dry material for animal feed are presented.     

The production of provitamin A‐rich vegetables in home‐gardens as a means of addressing vitamin A deficiency in rural African communities

Vitamin A deficiency remains a public health problem in the developing world. The highest prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is in Africa and Asia (>30%). Dietary modification, a long‐term strategy to address vitamin A deficiency, complements food fortification and vitamin A supplementation programmes. Provitamin A carotenoids from foods of plant origin are more affordable than preformed vitamin A from animal foods, and many resource‐poor households rely on yellow/orange‐fleshed vegetables and fruits and dark‐green leafy vegetables as their main source of vitamin A. The provitamin A carotenoid content in plant foods varies widely and differences among cultivars of the same food exist. Several factors influence the bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids. The potential contribution of plant foods to vitamin A status depends on the retention of provitamin A carotenoids after storage, preparation and processing. Home‐gardens can provide households with direct access to provitamin A‐rich vegetables that are not readily available or within their financial reach. The components and critical issues of home‐garden projects are described. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

贵州遵义辣椒矿质元素含量与其品质相关性分析

采集贵州遵义地区辣椒样品,测定辣椒样品的12?种矿质元素（K、Ca、Mg、P、S、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu、Mo、Ni、Co）含量与4?种品质指标（辣椒碱、VC、蛋白质、干物质）,探讨辣椒品质与矿质元素的关系,利用主成分分析和聚类分析对辣椒品质进行分析。结果表明：遵义辣椒矿质元素含量呈现K＞P＞S＞Mg＞Ca＞Fe＞Zn＞Mn＞Cu＞Ni＞Mo＞Co的特征。与前人研究结果相比,遵义辣椒的蛋白质、VC、干物质含量高,营养丰富,而辣椒碱含量变化大。辣椒VC与Cu含量呈显著正相关（r=0.584,P＜0.05,n=16）,与K、Ca、Mg、P、S、Zn含量亦呈正相关关系。主成分分析的前2?个主成分解释的总方差贡献率为49.368%,辣椒碱是辣椒品质评价的重要参考指标,K、Mg、P、S、Zn、Cu、Ni、Co为辣椒果实的特征元素。聚类分析结果表明辣椒品质和矿质元素在不同地域间存在差异,同一地域辣椒的品质与矿质元素含量往往相近,辣椒品质存在明显的地域分布特征。     

Polyphenol oxidase,total phenolics and ascorbic acid changes during storage of minimally processed ‘California Wonder’ and ‘Quadrato d'Asti’ sweet peppers

A growing sector of ‘minimally processed’ vegetables market is represented by sweet peppers, whose quality may be affected by enzymatic activities. Among these, polyphenol oxidase leads to browning reactions, which is a major cause of quality loss. This research aimed at assessing the changes in PPO activity, total phenolics and ascorbic acid throughout a 30-days cold storage in minimally processed green (cv. ‘California Wonder’), yellow and red (cv. ‘Quadrato d'Asti’) sweet peppers. At day 0 PPO was active in red and yellow fruits but not in green ones, where it started to show relevant activity from the 3rd week of storage. At the end of the storage period (day 30), PPO activity was 1.36, 0.94 and 0.61 U/g d.m. in yellow, red and green peppers, respectively. Total phenols content was highest in green peppers, followed by red and yellow ones. In green fruits it increased up to the 3rd week of storage, decreasing afterwards, whilst in red and yellow fruits phenols content progressively declined after the 2nd week. Yellow fruits showed the highest ascorbic acid content, followed by red and green ones.Results confirm that green peppers ‘California Wonder’ are more suitable to minimal processing than yellow and red fruits.     

Antioxidant and nutritive constituents during sweet pepper development and ripening are enhanced by nitrophenolate treatments

A mix of nitrophenolates was applied to pepper plants in the irrigation system along the growth cycle. Fruits were labelled at fruit set to study the evolution of fruit growth and ripening based on fruit size and colour. In addition, at 3-day intervals, samples were taken in which the evolution of fruit weight, colour, nutritive (sugars and organic acids) and bioactive compounds (total phenolics, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid) was evaluated. Pepper fruit growth followed a simple sigmoid curve reaching its maximum size at 49 days after fruit set, although nitrophenolate treatments led to significant increases in fruit weight due to higher length, diameter, and pericarp thickness, without affecting the normal ripening process, since colour and carotenoid evolution was similar for both control and treated fruits. Glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid, citric acid, total antioxidant activity (TAA) and total phenolics increased during pepper development, and their levels were significantly enhanced by nitrophenolate applications. Thus, this treatment induced beneficial effects in terms of the improvement of fruit quality, and especially its nutritive and antioxidant constituents. Finally, it is advisable to consume peppers at the full red stage in order to achieve the maximum health-beneficial effects by consumers.     

Antioxidant activities of different colored sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)

ABSTRACT:  Antioxidant compounds and their antioxidant activity in 4 different colored (green, yellow, orange, and red) sweet bell peppers ( Capsicum annuum L.) were investigated. The total phenolics content of green, yellow, orange, and red peppers determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method were 2.4, 3.3, 3.4, and 4.2 μmol catechin equivalent/g fresh weight, respectively. 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 by the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method were lowest for the green pepper (2.1 μmol Trolox equivalent/g) but not significantly different from the other 3 peppers. All 4 colored peppers exhibited significant abilities in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6) during heating. However, these 4 peppers did not show significant differences in their abilities in preventing cholesterol oxidation. The green pepper showed slightly higher capability in preventing the oxidation of DHA compared to the other 3 peppers.     

Influence of Ca2+, K+ and NO3− fertilisation on nutritional quality of pepper

A study was conducted in order to assess the effect of different fertilisation levels of Ca²⁺, K⁺ and NO₃^? on the bioactive nutrient content in red pepper (Capsicum annuum L) fruits. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, under hydroponic culture. Lycopene, β‐carotene, vitamin C, total phenolic compound, sugar, nitrate and potassium contents and antioxidant activity were determined. Increasing Ca²⁺ and NO₃^? concentrations in the root medium increased the lycopene and β‐carotene contents in pepper. Antioxidant activity was determined in the hydrophilic (HAA) and lipophilic (LAA) fractions. HAA was increased by intermediate and high Ca²⁺ concentrations in the culture medium. However, LAA was raised only by NO₃^? treatments. Vitamin C, sugar and total phenolic acid contents were not affected by Ca²⁺ or NO₃^? treatments. K⁺ treatments had no effect on nutritional quality of pepper. An increased supply of Ca²⁺ and NO₃^? in the culture medium could constitute a useful practice for improving the nutritional attributes of pepper as well as its commercial quality. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry