Capsicum--production, technology, chemistry, and quality. Part V. Impact on physiology, pharmacology, nutrition, and metabolism; structure, pungency, pain, and desensitization sequences.

The spice Capsicum is the fruit of the cultivated species of the genus Capsicum (family, Solanaceae), C. annuum principally, and C. frutescens L. to a lesser extent. A third variety of C. annuum var. annuum fruits, the large-sized, fleshy bell capsicum is used as a fresh vegetable and valued for its aroma, color, and crisp texture, but with no pungency. This variety is not considered in this series of reviews covering primary processing, production, international trade, chemistry, and biochemistry of functional components--the red keto carotenoids, the aromatic volatiles and the pungent capsaicinoids in Parts I to III. The valid qualitative aspects correlating the specific components of capsicum and their sensory responses are critically covered in Part IV. In this the concluding part of the series of reviews, the significant preference of the spice for initially evoking an aversive response, its potent physiological and pharmacological effects, and the aspects of structure-activity relationships of the pungent stimuli of the capsaicinoids are reviewed. The beneficial effects particularly associated with long usage by some ethnic groups and its safe consumption levels, with a critical review of the studies on the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system, the sensory system, thermoregulation, nutritional impacts, and an overview of the five series is also detailed.

Capsicum--production, technology, chemistry, and quality. Part IV. Evaluation of quality.

Capsicum fruits are popular worldwide and are used in the cuisines of both the developing and the developed countries. With its different varieties, forms, and uses, the spice capsicum contributes to the entire gamut of sensory experience--color as finely ground paprika powder or extract in sausages, goulash, cheese, and snacks; both pungency and color as the many varieties of chillies used in Mexican, African, Indian, and southeast Asian cuisines; color, aroma, and mild pungency as the fresh green chillies used in many of the growing countries; and appearance, color, aroma, and texture as fresh fruit in salads and as a pickled and canned product. In three earlier parts in this series, the varieties, cultivation, and primary processing; the processed products, world production, and trade; and the chemistry of the color, aroma, and pungency stimuli have been reviewed. In this part, the evaluation of quality through instrumental determination of the causal components and the sensory evaluation of color, aroma, and pungency are discussed. Several methods for quantitative determination of the stimuli and the sensory evaluation of the responses to the stimuli are reviewed. The problems of sensory evaluation of color, aroma, and pungency, the dominant attributes for validation of the instrumentally determined values for carotenoids, volatiles, or particular fractions, and total and individual capsaicinoids are specifically discussed. Summarized details of selected instrumental methods for evaluating the stimuli, which are either validated by correlation to sensorily perceived responses or to adopted standards, are given along with representative data obtained for discussing the adequacy and reliability of the methods. Pungency as a specific gustatory perception and the many methods proposed to evaluate this quality are discussed. A recommended objective procedure for obtaining reproducible values is discussed, and a method for relating different panel results is shown. With such a method, highly significant correlations have been shown between estimated total capsaicinoids and the determined pungency. The estimation of total capsaicinoids by any simple, reliable method is shown to be adequate for quality control of pungency of Capsicum fruits.

Capsicum--production, technology, chemistry, and quality--Part II. Processed products, standards, world production and trade.

Capsicums, as a spice, have been known since the beginning of civilization and historically associated with the discovery of the New World. The genus Capsicum (Fam. Solanaceae) provides many varieties and adds color, pungency, and aroma to the cuisines of most of the world. From the pungent chilli, of interest also to pharmaceuticals, to the colorful paprika and the bell capsicums with its remarkable aroma, the genus has been of great interest for its chemistry and physiological action. Pungency as a sensory attribute, its evaluation, structure-activity relationship, and its increasing acceptance and preference by diverse populations of the world are of great interest to many research disciplines. In a comprehensive review of all aspects in four sequential parts, Part I deals with History, Botany, Cultivation, and Primary Processing (CRC Critical Review, Food Science and Nutrition). The Capsicums among the spices are second only to black pepper in trades both in volume and value. The production of the different forms of this spice as ground, specialty seasonings, and as the concentrated oleoresins through technologically advanced processes, proposed newer products, the standard to control quality of the different products, world production, trade, and prospects are reviewed in detail in this, Part II.

Capsicum--production, technology, chemistry, and quality. Part III. Chemistry of the color, aroma, and pungency stimuli.

The spice capsicum, the fruits of the genus Capsicum (Family Solanaceae), is a very popular food additive in many parts of the world, valued for the important sensory attributes of color, pungency, and aroma. A large number of varieties are widely cultivated and traded. The characteristic carotenoids of the bright red paprika and cayenne-type chillies, the high character impact aroma stimuli, the methoxy pyrazine of green bell capsicum, the esters of ripe tabasco and the highly potent pungency stimuli, and the capsaicinoids of African and other Asian varieties of chillies, have been of great interest to chemists and biochemists. Research workers in other disciplines such as genetics and breeding, agriculture, and technology have been interested in this spice to develop new varieties with combinations of different optimal levels of the stimuli for the sensory attributes and to maximize production of storable products for specific end uses. Physiologists have been intensely studying the action of the highly potent pungency stimuli and social psychologists the curious aspect of growing acceptance and preference for the initially unacceptable pungency sensation. In the sequential review of all these aspects of the fruit spice Capsicum, the earlier two parts covered history, botany, cultivation and primary processing, and processed products, standards, world production, and trade. In Part III, the chemistry, the compositional variations, synthesis and biosynthesis of the functional components, the carotenoids, the volatiles, and the capsaicinoids are comprehensively reviewed.

High pressure liquid chromatographic determination of ethoxyquin in paprika and chili powder.

A method is described for the determination of ethoxyquin (1,2-dihydro-6-ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline) in paprika and chili powder. Ethoxyquin is extracted from the spice with hexane and partitioned into 0.3N HCl. After adjusting the solution to pH 13-14, ethoxyquin is extracted into hexane, and the hexane layer is evaporated to dryness. An acetonitrile solution of the residue is then analyzed by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography with detection at 254 nm. The mobile phase is water-acetonitrile with ammonium acetate buffer. Recoveries from samples fortified at 50, 100, and 200 ppm averaged 92% with a coefficient of variation of 2.3%. The method was applied to a number of commercial samples of paprika and chili powder. Ethoxyquin was found in paprika samples at levels up to 63 ppm and in chili powder samples at levels up to 20 ppm.

Studies on the residues of phosalone on chilli by GLC after multiband plate cleanup.

Four sprays of 0.05 and 0.10% phosalone were given on chilli (Capsicum annuum Linn.) crop at an interval of 15 days starting from 21 days after transplanting. Residues were determined in the green chilli fruits by GLC after cleanup of extract on multiband thin-layer plate. The half-lives of residues were 1.55 and 1.68 days on chilli fruits from the crop treated with four sprays of 0.05 and 0.10% phosalone respectively. The time required to reach the tolerance limit of 1 ppm after last spray with 0.05 and 0.10% emulsion was 4.75 and 7.62 days respectively. Washing of fruits under tap water was found effective in bringing down the level of phosalone residue by 21.64 to 75.11%.

Gas-liquid chromatographic studies on residues of endosulfan on chilli fruits.

Studies on the residues of endosulfan were undertaken by GLC so as observe the dissipation of endosulfan and its isomers on green fruits of chilli, Capsicum annuum Linn. and also to know the effect of washing the fruits on the residues. The pattern of dissipation of endosulfan was conventional showing half-life less than two days. The waiting periods worked out were 5 and 7 days after protecting the crop with four sprays of 0.03 and 0.08% endosulfan respectively. The dissipation of alpha isomer was found faster than that of beta isomer. Washing of fruits from treated crop was found quite effective in reducing the level of residues on the fruits.

Simultaneous microdetermination of capsaicin and its four analogues by using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry.

An improved method is described for the simultaneous determination of capsaicin and its analogues at levels from nanograms to micrograms using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry. This method consists of two steps: firstly, purification and determination of total capsaicinoid by HPLC, and secondly, the simultaneous determination of capsaicin and its analogues by mass chromatography (MC) or mass fragmentography (MF). Crude extracts of capsaicinoid were purified with a Zorbax SIL column. Total capsaicinoid was detected at 235 nm and measured automatically by a microcomputer. It was collected, evaporated, trimethylsilylated and subjected to MC or MF. After monitoring the molecular ions of trimethylsilyl derivatives of capsaicinoid and the internal standard, the absolute contents of each analogue were determined by computer. By using this method, capsaicin and all of its analogues can be determined simultaneously at levels from micrograms to nanograms without any interferences from other components.

Oil flotation extraction of light filth from ground capsicums excluding paprika: collaborative study.

A collaborative study has been completed on an improved method for the isolation of light filth from ground capsicums other than paprika. The proposed method involves isopropanol pretreatment, wet-sieving, and extraction from cooled 60% ethanol with a mineral oil-heptane mixture. The collaborative tests by the proposed method showed an approximate 2-fold increase in recoveries of insect fragments and rodent hairs with acceptable coefficients of variation and clean filter papers. The proposed method has been adopted as official first action to replace 44.123.

Method for the flotation oil extraction of light filth from ground capsicums.

The present official first action method for ground capsicums, 44.123, was adopted in 1945 and there have been great changes in processing and examination of spices since that time. The proposed method involves isopropanol pretreatment, followed by wet sieving and extraction of the light filth from 60% ethanol with flotation oil. The filter papers were clean and recoveries were good (95%) for 5 different lots of capsicums and annato spiked with insect fragments and rodent hairs.

Incidence of aflatoxin-potential contamination in Spanish sausages.

525 strains of moulds were isolated from 8 samples of red pepper (Capsicum annuum) and from 3 samples of black pepper (Piper nigrum). These spices were commonly added to the various kinds of spanish sausages, specially to the spanish "chorizo". Of these 525 isolated moulds, 100 belonged to the Aspergillus flavus group. 69 were isolated from red pepper and 31 from black pepper. Of these strains, 28 strains isolated from red pepper were found positive in producing aflatoxin B1 while only 8 of the strains isolated from black pepper produced aflatoxin B1. 16 of the strains isolated from red pepper also produced aflatoxin G1. After experimental contamination by these aflatoxicogenic strains of moulds of various kinds of spanish sausages, and after drying them under similar storage conditions used in the sausage industry, the presence of aflatoxin were detected only on the skin but not in the meat of the sausage.

The analysis of essential oils and extracts (oleoresins) from seasonings--a critical review.

A critical review of the analytical methods employed for the determination of the relevant components of seasonings is presented. Where the available methods were inadequate, new ones have been devised. Particular emphasis has been placed on those methods of analysis that provide a rapid and sufficiently accurate appraisal of seasoning extracts and essential oils from seasonings under routine control laboratory conditions. At the same time, the margin of error of these methods has been determined. The individual seasoning extracts were assessed according to the following criteria: (1) essential oil--cardamom, laurel leaves, cloves, origanum (marjoram), sage, and thyme; (2) essential oil and nonvolatile lipids--dillseed, coriander, caraway, mace, nutmeg, pimento (allspice), and celery seed; (3) essential oil and/or pungent ingredients--capsicum, ginger, and pepper; (4) essential oil and/or coloring matter--turmeric (curcuma) and paprika; (5) essential oil and other components--garlic, onion, and cinnamon.

Spectrophotometric method for determining the pigment content of ground paprika.

A rapid and reliable method has been developed for determining the red, yellow and total pigment contents of ground paprika.