During the past decade, it has been reported that the consumption of certain foods and spices such as pepper may have a positive effect on health. The present study evaluates the influence of technological processes such as drying and cooking on the health properties of sweet Capsicum annuum cv Roggianese and cv Senise compared with fresh peppers. The antioxidant and hypogliacemic activities were analyzed through various in vitro models. Possible relation between phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content and biological activity was discussed. C. annuum cv Senise exhibited the highest phenolic content (224.5 mg/g ex). Frying process drastically reduced this content (24.5 mg/g ex). On the contrary both peppers were characterized by a similar flavonoid content. In order to operate a separation of lipophilic compounds, the total EtOH extract was partionated with n-hexane. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several fatty acids as major components. Several methods were recently developed for measuring the antioxidant capacity of food matrix. These assays differ in the generation of different radicals and/or target molecules, and in the way end points are measured. Considering that different antioxidant compounds may act in vivo through different mechanisms, no single method can fully evaluate the antioxidant capacity of food since levels of single antioxidant in food do not necessarily reflect their antioxidant activity [1]. Therefore, to investigate the antioxidant activity of chemicals choosing an adequate assay based on chemicals of interest is critical [2]. In this study DPPH, ABTS, -carotene bleaching test and Fe-chelating activity assay were used. A similar radical scavenging activity was observed for both sweet peppers. Interestingly frying process did not influenced the bioactivity. Both dried pepper extracts exhibited an interesting antioxidant activity using -carotene bleaching test with IC50 values of 43.7 and 38.1 g/ml for Senise and Roggianese EtOH extracts, respectively, and 26.9 and 24.9 g/ml for Senise and Roggianese lipophilic fractions, respectively. The hypoglicaemic activity was investigated through the inhibition of the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes -amylase and -glucosidase [3]. Fresh C. annuum cv Senise inhibited -amylase with an IC50 value of 55.3 g/ml while C. annuum cv Roggianese showed a stronger activity against -glucosidase (68.9 g/ml). The obtained results underline the potential health benefits as a result of consuming these traditional sweet peppers. Bibliography [1] Pellegrini, M., Serafini, B., Colombi, D., del Rio, S., Salvatora, M., Bianchi Brighenti, F. Journal Nutrition, 2003, 133, 2812-2819 [2] Moon, J.K., Shibamoto, T. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry, 2009, 57, 1655-1666. [3] Loizzo, M.R., Tundis, R., Menichini, F., Statti, G.A., Menichini, F. Journal Medicinal Food, 2008 11, 184-189.
Influence of drying and cooking processes on the health properties of two sweet capsicum annuum cultivars
LOIZZO, Monica Rosa;
2011-01-01
Abstract
During the past decade, it has been reported that the consumption of certain foods and spices such as pepper may have a positive effect on health. The present study evaluates the influence of technological processes such as drying and cooking on the health properties of sweet Capsicum annuum cv Roggianese and cv Senise compared with fresh peppers. The antioxidant and hypogliacemic activities were analyzed through various in vitro models. Possible relation between phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content and biological activity was discussed. C. annuum cv Senise exhibited the highest phenolic content (224.5 mg/g ex). Frying process drastically reduced this content (24.5 mg/g ex). On the contrary both peppers were characterized by a similar flavonoid content. In order to operate a separation of lipophilic compounds, the total EtOH extract was partionated with n-hexane. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several fatty acids as major components. Several methods were recently developed for measuring the antioxidant capacity of food matrix. These assays differ in the generation of different radicals and/or target molecules, and in the way end points are measured. Considering that different antioxidant compounds may act in vivo through different mechanisms, no single method can fully evaluate the antioxidant capacity of food since levels of single antioxidant in food do not necessarily reflect their antioxidant activity [1]. Therefore, to investigate the antioxidant activity of chemicals choosing an adequate assay based on chemicals of interest is critical [2]. In this study DPPH, ABTS, -carotene bleaching test and Fe-chelating activity assay were used. A similar radical scavenging activity was observed for both sweet peppers. Interestingly frying process did not influenced the bioactivity. Both dried pepper extracts exhibited an interesting antioxidant activity using -carotene bleaching test with IC50 values of 43.7 and 38.1 g/ml for Senise and Roggianese EtOH extracts, respectively, and 26.9 and 24.9 g/ml for Senise and Roggianese lipophilic fractions, respectively. The hypoglicaemic activity was investigated through the inhibition of the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes -amylase and -glucosidase [3]. Fresh C. annuum cv Senise inhibited -amylase with an IC50 value of 55.3 g/ml while C. annuum cv Roggianese showed a stronger activity against -glucosidase (68.9 g/ml). The obtained results underline the potential health benefits as a result of consuming these traditional sweet peppers. Bibliography [1] Pellegrini, M., Serafini, B., Colombi, D., del Rio, S., Salvatora, M., Bianchi Brighenti, F. Journal Nutrition, 2003, 133, 2812-2819 [2] Moon, J.K., Shibamoto, T. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry, 2009, 57, 1655-1666. [3] Loizzo, M.R., Tundis, R., Menichini, F., Statti, G.A., Menichini, F. Journal Medicinal Food, 2008 11, 184-189.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
