title: Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value in ají (Capsicum baccatum L.) and rocoto (C. pubescens R. & P.), 2 pepper species from the Andean region.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Univ. Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, CP 46022, Valencia, Spain. adrodbur@doctor.upv.es
authors.forename: Adrián
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Burruezo
authors.forename: Maria del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: González-Mas
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nuez
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001838:Bolivia; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010858:Pigmentation; D013045:Species Specificity; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D024341:Xanthophylls; C438634:capsanthin-5,6-epoxide; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; C006889:capsanthin; C005613:violaxanthin