Fatty acid composition of two new pepper varieties (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Jaranda and Jariza). Effect of drying process and nutritional aspects

Abstract

Composition in fatty acids of the pericarp and seeds of two new pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Jaranda and Jariza) and the effects of different processing stages on the fatty acid composition of these tissues and of paprika are shown. In the pericarp the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic and linolenic, both in the same proportion, are the major acids; in the seed, linoleic is in a very high concentration as compared to in the pericarp. In the pericarp, a storage zone of carotenoid pigments, linolenic acid does not participate in the carotenoid esterification process. From the different lipid patterns, nutritional aspects are deduced. In the drying step the concentrations of constituent fatty acids are constant in the seed, while in the pericarp there is a net increase in the total content of fatty acids.