Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in scalded Jalapeño pepper industrial byproduct (Capsicum annuum).

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity were evaluated from industrial Jalapeño pepper byproducts and simulated non processed byproducts from two Mexican states (Chihuahua and Sinaloa) to determine their value added potential as commercial food ingredients. Aqueous 80% ethanol produced about 13% of dry extract of polar compounds. Total phenolic content increased and capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin decreased on scalding samples (80 °C, 2 min) without affecting ascorbic acid. The major phenolic compounds, rutin, epicatechin and catechin comprised 90% of the total compounds detected by HPLC of each Jalapeño pepper byproducts. ORAC analysis showed that the origin and scalding process affected the antioxidant activity which correlated strongly with capsaicin content. Although scalding decreased capsaicinoids (up to 42%), phenolic content by (up to 16%), and the antioxidant activity (variable). Jalapeño pepper byproduct is a good source of compounds with antioxidant activity, and still an attractive ingredient to develop useful innovative products with potential food/non-food applications simultaneously reducing food loss and waste.

A UV-Vis micro-spectroscopic study to rationalize the influence of Cl(-)(aq) on the formation of different Pd macro-distributions on gamma-Al(2)O(3) catalyst bodies.

The influence of the Cl(-)(aq) concentration, solution pH and equilibration time on the PdCl(4)(2-)(aq) dynamics and molecular structure after impregnation of gamma-Al(2)O(3) catalyst bodies has been studied using UV-Vis micro-spectroscopy. To do so, 0.2 wt% Pd catalysts have been prepared from acidic solutions (pH 1 and 5) of the Na(2)PdCl(4) precursor salt with different amounts of NaCl. It was found that egg-shell catalysts are obtained when a less acidic pH (pH 5) is combined with [Cl(-)(aq)] < 0.6 M and less than 24 h of equilibration time are implemented, while to achieve egg-white catalysts the solution pH should be 1. Moreover, by increasing the equilibration time up to 96 h, the egg-shell profiles vanish to provide a uniform Pd distribution, while the egg-white distribution becomes egg-yolk. Additionally, Pd complexes appeared with different molecular structures depending on the solution pH, equilibration time and macro-distribution achieved. The protocol developed to create different Pd macro-distributions has been applied to prepare two 1 wt% Pd/gamma-Al(2)O(3) egg-shell and egg-white catalysts. The Pd dynamics and molecular structure have been followed after impregnation, drying and calcination, demonstrating that the profiles created after impregnation are retained.

Polyphenols in wild and weedy Mexican common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

The polyphenolic composition of 62 wild and weedy Mexican bean collections from diverse origins, grouped by their seed coat color, was assessed. According to spectrophotometric analysis, the range of total phenols, condensed tannins, and total anthocyanins presented wide differences. Furthermore, the phenolic acid, flavonoid, and anthocyanin profiles were analyzed using HPLC. Ferulic was the main phenolic acid. Kaempferol and quercetin were the main flavonoids, and the isoflavones daidzein and coumestrol were found in only low levels in few collections. Delphinidin was the main anthocyanidin found, followed by petunidin, cyanidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, and peonidin. The wide variation observed in polyphenolic contents was more related to their genotype than to the color factor. These results show that some wild and weedy beans are good sources of phenolic compounds for use in breeding programs focused on nutrition and health.