NATURE OF FATTY ACIDS AND CAPSANTHIN ESTERS IN PAPRIKA

Abstract

The triglycerides present in whole ground paprika and paprika pods were extracted and hydrolyzed. The fatty acids were methylated, separated by gas chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. The whole paprika and pods, respectively, contained approximately 66 and 45% linoleic acid, 14 and 19% palmitic acid, 12 and 14% oleic acid and 5 and 17% linolenic acid. Small quantities of myristic and lauric acids and traces of capric, stearic and palmitoleic acids also were present. Capsanthin, which amounted to 35% of the total carotenoids, occurred as the dilaurate ester. It was isolated from paprika by thin-layer chromatography after interesterification of the triglycerides. Capsanthin dilaurate, synthesized in the laboratory, gave identical Rf value and infrared and visible spectra to those of the naturally occurring compounds.