Selective enzyme-mediated extraction of capsaicinoids and caratenoids from chili guajillo puya (Capsicum annum L.) using ethanol as solvent

The selective extraction of capsaicinoids and carotenoids from chili guajillo "puya" flour was studied. When ethanol was used as solvent, 80% of capsaicinoids and 73% of carotenoids were extracted, representing an interesting alternative for the substitution of hexane in industrial processes. Additionally, when the flour was pretreated with enzymes that break the cell wall and then dried, extraction in ethanol increased to 11 and 7% for carotenoid and capsaicinoid, respectively. A selective two-stage extraction process after the treatment with enzymes is proposed. The first step uses 30% (v/v) ethanol and releases up to 60% of the initial capsaicinoids, and the second extraction step with industrial ethanol permits the recovery of 83% of carotenoids present in the flour.     

Chili pepper fruits: presumed precursors of fatty acids characteristic for capsaicinoids

Capsaicin is a molecule unique to fruits from the genus Capsicum. It is responsible for the pungent sensation and displays valuable pharmacological properties. Despite the fruits' economic importance and decades of research, the regulation of the content of capsaicinoids in individual fruits is not completely elucidated, and no agricultural cultivation of chili of defined pungency is assured. Precursor candidates of the fatty acid moiety of the capsaicinoids, especially for the unique 8-methyl- trans-6-nonenoic acid, were examined. Thioesters, acyl-ACP and acyl-CoA, were isolated from the placenta of Capsicum fruits by means of DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, selectively converted to the corresponding N-butylamides, and analyzed by GC-MS. Fatty acid moieties characteristic for capsaicinoids were identified. In two different varieties ( Capsicum chinense var. Habanero orange and Capsicum annuum var. Jalapeno) it was shown that the fatty acid pattern corresponds to the distribution pattern of the capsaicinoids formed up to this time. The acyl-thioester fractions contained already the 8-methyl- trans-6-nonenoic acid.     

Supercritical CO(2) and subcritical propane extraction of pungent paprika and quantification of carotenoids, tocopherols, and capsaicinoids.

Ground paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) was extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) and subcritical propane at different conditions of pressure and temperature to estimate the yield and variation in carotenoid, tocopherol, and capsaicinoid contents and composition. The yield of paprika extract was found to be affected by the extraction conditions with SC-CO(2) but fairly constant at different conditions with subcritical propane. The maximum yields of oleoresin were 7.9 and 8.1% of ground paprika by SC-CO(2) and subcritical propane, respectively. The quantitative distribution of carotenoids, tocopherols, and capsaicinoids between paprika extract and powder was influenced by extraction conditions. SC-CO(2) was inefficient in the extraction of diesters of xanthophylls even at 400 bar and 55 degrees C, whereas tocopherols and capsaicinoids were easy to extract at these conditions. Under mild conditions subcritical propane was superior to SC-CO(2) in the extraction of carotenoids and tocopherols but less efficient in the extraction of capsaicinoids.     

Direct connection of supercritical fluid extraction and supercritical fluid chromatography as a rapid quantitative method for capsaicinoids in placentas of Capsicum.

The fruits of Capsicum annuum L. are used worldwide as chili peppers and in folk medicines. The pungent components of C. annuum, which are irritants, are called capsaicinoids (CAPS), and the most abundant components are capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin. To analyze CAPS in the placentas of Capsicum fruits rapidly and safely, we used a directly connected system of supercritical fluid extraction and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFE/SFC). As a column for SFE/SFC, only a silica-type column was found to be suitable. The CAPS contents in placentas of C. annuum cv. Jalapeno (hot type) and C. annuum cv. Shishitoh (less-hot type) determined by the SFE/SFC method agreed well with those in the range of 0-13.81 mg g(-1) fr. wt determined by the usual extraction-HPLC method. The SFE/SFC method has the advantages of no need for pretreatment and no (or minimal) need for organic solvents. We conclude that this method is useful as a rapid (20 min) and safe screening test for the pungency of various Capsicum fruits.     

Specific synthesis of 5,5'-dicapsaicin by cell suspension cultures of capsicum annuum var. annuum (chili Jalapeño chigol) and their soluble and NaCl-extracted cell wall protein fractions

HPLC-UV, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and (1)H-(1)H COSY analyses revealed that exogenous capsaicin was specifically converted into 5,5'-dicapsaicin by both cell suspension cultures of Capsicum annuum var. annuum (chili Jalape?o chigol) and their soluble and NaCl-extracted cell wall protein fractions under oxidative conditions. In cell suspension cultures 5,5'-dicapsaicin was found only in biomass of capsaicin-fed cultures. This compound has not been detected before either in fresh fruits or in in vitro cultures of Capsicum. The transformation of capsaicin by different protein fractions revealed that most of the enzymatic activity was located in the NaCl-extracted, or ionic cell wall bound, protein, and that it was strictly dependent on H(2)O(2). These results might in part explain some previously described features of capsaicin production by in vitro cultures of Capsicum. The implications of the results regarding the catabolism of capsaicinoids are discussed.     

Extraction of chili,black pepper,and ginger with near-critical CO2, propane,and dimethyl ether: analysis of the extracts by quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance

Ginger, black pepper, and chili powder were extracted using near-critical carbon dioxide, propane, and dimethyl ether on a laboratory scale to determine the overall yield and extraction efficiency for selected pungent components. The temperature dependency of extraction yield and efficiency was also determined for black pepper and chili using propane and dimethyl ether. The pungency of the extracts was determined by using an NMR technique developed for this work. The volatiles contents of ginger and black pepper extracts were also determined. Extraction of all spice types was carried out with acetone to compare overall yields. Subcritical dimethyl ether was as effective at extracting the pungent principles from the spices as supercritical carbon dioxide, although a substantial amount of water was also extracted. Subcritical propane was the least effective solvent. All solvents quantitatively extracted the gingerols from ginger. The yields of capsaicins obtained by supercritical CO(2) and dimethyl ether were similar and approximately double that extracted by propane. The yield of piperines obtained by propane extraction of black pepper was low at approximately 10% of that achieved with dimethyl ether and CO(2), but improved with increasing extraction temperature.     

Capsaicinoids in vegetative organs of Capsicum annuum L. in relation to fruiting

Pepper (cv. Padrón) shows a spatial gradient in the content of phenolic compounds, and particularly of capsaicinoids, along the stem. These compounds were consistently more abundant in apical fruits than in fruits belonging to middle and basal segments. Analysis of the two principal capsaicinoids in fruits showed that the proportion of capsaicin was always higher than that of dihydrocapsaicin. Capsaicinoids were also found to be present in vegetative organs, such as stem and leaves. In this case, the proportion of individual capsaicinoids was different than that in fruits, and dihydrocapsaicin was found to be more abundant. To find out whether the capsaicinoids in vegetative organs came from the fruits, the floral buds were removed and fruit formation was prevented. Capsaicinoids were not detected in the stem and leaves of floral bud-deprived plants, suggesting that they did originate from the fruit.     

辣椒热泵干燥特性及工艺参数优化

为了提高干制辣椒品质,降低干燥能耗,该文应用热泵干燥技术干燥辣椒。首先探究干燥温度和铺料厚度对干燥特性的影响,绘制出含水率和干燥速率变化曲线。在此基础上,将分阶段控温和改变铺料厚度结合起来对辣椒进行热泵干燥,运用响应面法中的Box-Behnken设计,考察第一阶段温度、第二阶段温度、铺料厚度和三者的交互作用对品质得分、单位能耗、干燥时间的影响,并建立回归方程,得出最佳工艺参数。结论如下:温度越高,干燥速率越大,含水率下降越快;铺料厚度越大,干燥速率越小,含水率下降越慢;第一阶段温度是影响单位能耗的主要因素(P0.05),较低的第一阶段温度能降低单位能耗;第二阶段温度对品质得分影响显著(P0.05),对干燥时间影响极显著(P0.01),第二阶段温度在60℃左右时能得到品质较佳的干辣椒,且在一定程度上提高了干燥效率;铺料厚度对品质得分、干燥时间的影响极显著(P0.01),对单位能耗的影响显著(P0.05),铺料厚度在45 mm左右干燥获得的辣椒品质较佳,而且能节约能耗,提高干燥效率。综合优化参数为:第一阶段温度48℃、第二阶段温度61℃、铺料厚度44 mm,在此工艺条件下获得的干燥辣椒品质得分为8.64,单位能耗为92.05 k J/kg,干燥时间为896.02 min。研究结果为热泵干燥技术应用于辣椒干制提供参考。     

Enzyme-mediated solvent extraction of carotenoids from marigold flower (Tagetes erecta)

Marigold flowers are the most important source of carotenoids for application in the food industry. However, the extraction gives almost 50% losses of the carotenoids depending on conditions for silaging, drying, and solvent extraction. In the past decades, macerating enzymes have been successfully applied to improve the extraction yield of valued compounds from natural products. In this work, an alternative extraction process for carotenoids is proposed, consisting of a simultaneous enzymatic treatment and solvent extraction. The proposed process employs milled fresh flowers directly as raw material, eliminating the inefficient silage and drying operations as well as the generation of hard to deal with aqueous effluents present in traditional processes. The process developed was tested at the 80 L scale, where under optimal conditions a carotenoid recovery yield of 97% was obtained.     

旱期水肥耦合对贵州山区辣椒生长及产量的影响

在贵州东南部山区,田间试验研究了沟垄覆膜集雨以及旱期水肥耦合对辣椒生长及产量的影响。结果表明,在传统施有机肥的基础上,采用沟垄覆膜集雨可以明显改善辣椒株高、单株果实数及百果重,鲜椒的平均产量提高了49.9%,其增产效果优于增施复合肥。旱期节水灌溉也能明显增加辣椒株高、单株果实数、百果重及鲜椒产量,旱期分次浇灌和滴灌后的鲜椒平均产量分别提高了7.8%和17.8%;而旱期浇灌及滴灌后表土层(10 cm处)的平均含水率则分别增加了10.00%和16.92%。因此,在合理施用肥料的基础上,采用沟垄覆膜集雨和雨季水窖蓄水及旱季提水灌溉是贵州山区优质辣椒栽培的主要措施。     

Bioaccessibility of beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene from fruits and vegetables

Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that there is an association between carotenoid-rich food intakes with a low incidence in chronic diseases. Nevertheless, there is not an association between the intake of total dietary carotenoids and chronic health incidence in the European population, probably because of different carotenoid food sources and bioavailability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the small and large intestine bioaccessibilities of major dietary carotenoids from fruits and vegetables in a common diet. A bioaccessibility model that includes enzymatic digestion and in vitro colonic fermentation was employed. Lutein presented greater small intestine bioaccessibility (79%) than beta-carotene (27%) or lycopene (40%). With regard to large intestine bioaccessibility, similar amounts of lycopene and beta-carotene were released from the food matrix (57%), whereas small amounts of lutein (17%) were released. These results suggest that 91% of the beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene contained in fruits and vegetables is available in the gut during the entire digestion process. Colonic fermentation is shown to be important for carotenoid availability in the gut.     

Extraction of anthocyanins and other phenolics from black currants with sulfured water

Health benefits of fruits, vegetables, and red wine are attributed to anthocyanins and other phytochemicals. In this research, the extraction of phenolics from black currants was optimized using different SO(2) concentrations (28, 300, 700, 1100, and 1372 ppm), temperatures (6, 20, 40, 60, and 74 degrees C), and solvent to solid ratios (S/S) (6, 20, 40, 60, and 74 mL/g). Surface response methodology was used to optimize yields of anthocyanins and total phenolics, as well as their antiradical and antioxidant activities. The extraction of phenolics varied with the SO(2) concentration, S/S, and temperature. Maximum yields of total phenolics and anthocyanins were obtained at an SO(2) concentration of 1000-1200 ppm and 19 L of solvent/kg of milled frozen berries. The increase of extraction temperature increased the rate of extraction and, thus, times to reach equilibrium for the extraction of total phenolics and anthocyanins were reduced. However, for the extraction of anthocyanins it is recommended that temperatures of 30-35 degrees C be used, as higher temperatures will degrade these compounds. Antioxidant activity was affected by all three experimental variables evaluated; however, the main variable affecting it was S/S. The higher the S/S, the lower the antioxidant index.     

Novel procedure for the extraction and concentration of carotenoid-containing chromoplasts from selected plant systems

Natural sources of carotenoids for nutraceutical use are desired by the food industry as a result of the increased production of convenience and other highly processed foods. As new physiological roles are discovered for some of the minor carotenoids that are found in only small amounts in present sources, the need for discovery of new sources will amplify. Thus, a method is needed that will effectively and gently concentrate carotenoids from potential new sources for subsequent identification and analysis. A procedure is presented by which carotenoid-containing tissue chromoplasts can be extracted and subsequently concentrated by precipitation, all in an aqueous milieu. The chromoplasts are extracted and solubilized with 0.3% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in water. The addition of a nominally equal volume of acetonitrile to the chromoplasts in SDS immediately precipitates the chromoplasts out of solution with generally >90% recovery. Carotenoids contained in the concentrated, still-intact chromoplasts can then be solubilized by organic solvent extraction for subsequent analysis. This methodology offers a means to effectively and gently concentrate carotenoids from fruit tissues where yields are often low (e.g., yellow watermelon).     

Pressurized liquid extraction of capsaicinoids from peppers

A method has been developed for the extraction of capsaicinoids from peppers by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE); these compounds are determined by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with detection by fluorescence spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry (MS). The stability of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin has been studied at different temperatures (50-200 degrees C), and several extraction variables have been assayed: solvent (methanol, ethanol, and water), different percentages of water in the methanol (0-20%) and in the ethanol (0-20%), and the number of extraction cycles. The study has evaluated the repeatability (RSD < 7%) and the reproducibility (RSD < 7%) of the method. Finally, the PLE method developed has been applied to quantify the capsaicinoids present in three varieties of hot peppers cultivated in Spain, quantifying five capsaicinoids: nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, an isomer of dihydrocapsaicin, and homodihydrocapsaicin.     

Effect of regulated deficit irrigation and crop load on the antioxidant compounds of peaches

The use of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies is becoming a common practice in areas with low water availability. Little information is available about the effects of RDI on the antioxidant content of fruits. In this study, the influence of RDI on the content of vitamin C, phenolic compounds and carotenoids was investigated. Two irrigation strategies, fully irrigated (FI) and RDI, were compared at two levels of thinning, commercial and half of the commercial crop load. RDI strategies affected the content of vitamin C, phenolics and carotenoids of Flordastar peaches. RDI caused fruit peel stress lowering the content of vitamin C and carotenoids, while increasing the phenolic content, mainly anthocyanins and procyanidins. Fruit weight was the only quality index influenced by the crop load as it increased in FI fruits at low crop load. In general, fruits from commercial crop load had slightly higher content of antioxidants to fruits from low crop load, although these influences were only observed in the peel. Additionally, the influence of irrigation controlled by two sensors related to plant water level, maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS) and sap flow (SF) on the antioxidant constituents of peaches was evaluated. The response of the fruits to SF sensor was similar to that observed for RDI strategy. According to the tested water sensors, SF did not act as a good plant-based water indicator for use in irrigation scheduling, as it caused an increase in the content of phenolics, similar to that observed for fruits subjected to RDI. Therefore, selection of RDI strategies and plant water indicators should be taken into account as they affect the content of antioxidants of peaches.     

Carotenoid esters in vegetables and fruits: a screening with emphasis on beta-cryptoxanthin esters

Carotenoids are found in food plants in free form or as fatty acid esters. Most studies have been carried out after saponification procedures, so the resulting data do not represent the native carotenoid composition of plant tissues. Therefore, nonsaponified extracts of 64 fruits and vegetables have been screened to determine the amount of carotenoid esters in food plants. Because one of the major problems in the quantitation of carotenoids is the availability of pure standard material, the total carotenoid ester content was calculated as lutein dimyristate equivalents. Lutein dimyristate was independently synthesized from lutein and myristoyl chloride. The highest ester concentrations were found in red chili (17.1 mg/100 g) and orange pepper (9.2 mg/100 g); most of the investigated fruits and vegetables showed concentrations up to 1.5 mg/100 g. Special attention was dedicated to beta-cryptoxanthin esters. To enable an accurate detection of the beta-cryptoxanthin ester content, beta-cryptoxanthin was purified from papaya and used for synthesis of beta-cryptoxanthin laurate, myristate, and palmitate, representing the major beta-cryptoxanthin esters in food plants. The study proved tropical and subtropical fruits to be an additional source of beta-cryptoxanthin esters in the human diet. The contents ranged from 8 microg/100 g beta-cryptoxanthin laurate in Tunisian orange to 892 microg/100 g beta-cryptoxanthin laurate in papaya.     

Critical assessment of various techniques for the extraction of carotenoids and co-enzyme Q10 from the Thraustochytrid strain ONC-T18

A variety of techniques for extracting carotenoids from the marine Thraustochytrium sp. ONC-T18 was compared. Specifically, the organic solvents acetone, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether were tested, along with direct and indirect ultrasonic assisted extraction (probe vs bath) methods. Techniques that used petroleum ether/acetone/water (15:75:10, v/v/v) with 3 h of agitation, or 5 min in an ultrasonic bath, produced the highest extraction yields of total carotenoids (29-30.5 microg g-1). Concentrations up to 11.5 microg g-1 of canthaxanthin and 17.5 microg g-1 of beta;-carotene were detected in extracts stored for 6 weeks. Astaxanthin and echinenone were also detected as minor compounds. Extracts with and without antioxidants showed similar carotenoid concentration profiles. However, total carotenoid concentrations were approximately 8% higher when antioxidants were used. Finally, an easy-to-perform and inexpensive method to detect co-enzymes in ONC-T18 was also developed using silica gel TLC plates. Five percent methanol in toluene as a mobile phase consistently eluted co-enzyme Q10 standards and could separate the co-enzyme fractions present in ONC-T18.     

One-solvent extraction of astaxanthin from lactic acid fermented shrimp wastes

Free astaxanthin one-solvent extractions with ethanol, acetone, and liquid 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane from raw and lactic acid fermented (ensilaged) shrimp residues were investigated. The total carotenoid recovery from ensilaged shrimp wastes was higher than that from non-ensilaged ones as assessed by HPLC analyses. Acetone gave the highest extraction yields of free astaxanthin with up to 115 microg/g of material. Moreover, liquid tetrafluoroethane is reported for the first time in a successful one-solvent extraction of carotenoids from shrimp.     

Influence of combined biotic and abiotic stress on nutritional quality parameters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Induction of abiotic stress in tomato plants has been proposed as a mechanism for improving the nutritional quality of fruits. However, the occurrence of biotic stress can interfere with normal abiotic stress responses. In this study, the combined effect of water stress and infection with plant-parasitic nematodes on the nutritional quality of tomato was investigated. Plants were exposed to one or both stresses, and the levels of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and sugars in fruits were analyzed as well as physiological responses. Levels of carotenoids lycopene and β-carotene were lower in water-stressed tomatoes but exhibited a different response pattern under combined stress. Nematode stress was associated with increased flavonoid levels, albeit with reduced yields, while chlorogenic acid was increased by nematodes, water stress, and the combined stress. Sugar levels were higher only in tomatoes exposed to both stresses. These results emphasize the importance of studying plant stress factors in combination.