title: Vitamin Variation in Capsicum Spp. Provides Opportunities to Improve Nutritional Value of Human Diets.
abstract: Chile peppers, native to the Americas, have spread around the world and have been integrated into the diets of many cultures. Much like their heat content, nutritional content can vary dramatically between different pepper types. In this study, a diverse set of chile pepper types were examined for nutrient content. Some pepper types were found to have high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, or folate. Correlations between nutrient content, species, cultivation status, or geographic region were limited. Varietal selection or plant breeding offer tools to augment nutrient content in peppers. Integration of nutrient rich pepper types into diets that already include peppers could help combat nutrient deficiencies by providing a significant portion of recommended daily nutrients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5542-0975
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Kantar
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Justin E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lucht
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bernau
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kyle A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Case
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nina C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Haley C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: DeKeyser
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zen-Zi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.|Microbial and Plant Genome Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.|Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Baumler
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D004032:Diet; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D005492:Folic Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002211:Capsaicin