Free Radical-Scavenging Capacities, Phenolics and Capsaicinoids in Wild Piquin Chili ( Capsicum annuum var. Glabriusculum )

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 10; p. 2655
• Main Authors: Moreno-Ramírez, Yolanda Del Rocio, Martínez-Ávila, Guillermo C G, González-Hernández, Víctor Arturo, Castro-López, Cecilia, Torres-Castillo, Jorge Ariel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 16.10.2018; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Capsaicin; capsaicinoids; Capsicum - chemistry; chili; Chromatography, Liquid; Free Radical Scavengers - chemistry; Free Radical Scavengers - isolation & purification; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; free radical-scavenging; geographical variation; Mass Spectrometry; Molecular Structure; phenolics; Phenols - chemistry; Phenols - isolation & purification; Phenols - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; capsaicinoids; free radical-scavenging; chili; geographical variation; phenolics
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102655

The total phenolic compounds content, free radical-scavenging capacity and capsaicinoid content in populations of wild Piquin chili ( ) were studied. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from nine ecotypes were evaluated. High contents of phenolic compounds and free radical-scavenging capacities were observed for both extracts; however, the values that were found for the hydroalcoholic phase were substantially higher. LC-MS analysis allowed for the detection of 32 compounds, where apigenin-8- -glucoside followed by vanillic acid 1- -β- -glucopyranosylester (Isomer I or II) and 7-ethoxy-4-methylcoumarin were the most widely distributed; they were found in more than 89% of the ecotypes. The diversity of identified phenolic compounds was different among ecotypes, allowing them to be distinguished by chemical diversity, free radical-scavenging capacities and heat Scoville units. The total capsaicinoid content was higher in Population I (23.5 mg/g DW) than in Populations II and III, which had contents of 15.3 and 10.7 mg/g DW, respectively. This variability could lead to phytochemical exploitation and the conservation of the natural populations of wild chili.