The health benefits of piquin chili are highlighted due to its high antioxidant content

The health benefits of piquin chili are highlighted due to its high antioxidant content

In a study recently published in the journalLimits in nutritionA team of researchers in Mexico examined the numerous metabolites such as capsaicinoids, carotenoids and flavonoids in piquin peppers and the antioxidant properties that highlight its nutraceutical potential.

Plant food sources

Phytochemical compounds such as alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, polysaccharides, peptides and terpenoids are biosynthesized in plants for various physiological and ecological functions. These compounds have colors, flavors, aromas, and nutraceutical properties that are potentially useful. Various cultures around the world consume plants with nutraceutical properties, highlighting the need for appropriate management and conservation measures for these natural resources. Additionally, cultivation of these plants could alter the composition and content of nutraceutical compounds compared to those found in the same plants from wild sources.

Therefore, it is important to understand the optimal growing conditions to replicate the natural processes that promote the highest production of nutraceutical compounds. A comprehensive assessment of traditional practices, natural resource management, genetic improvement techniques, innovative industrial processing methods, sustainable forestry production practices and public policies on the use of such nutraceutical compounds is also essential. Traditional knowledge passed down through generations, particularly in rural, indigenous and indigenous communities, is critical to understanding the nutraceutical benefits of wild plants and their phenological and productive cycles.

Since environmental conditions affect not only the growth of these plants but also the functional and organoleptic properties, differences in crops have a direct impact on the consumer. One such plant is the Piquin chili orCapsicum annuumvar.Glabriusculum, grown from the southern United States to Central America. The high carotenoid, phenolic, alkaloid and volatile compound content of this chili makes it a valuable potential nutraceutical resource.

Nutraceutical compounds: carotenoids

Carotenoids in chili peppers contribute to the yellow and red coloring as the fruit ripens, and they are also precursors to phytohormones. Genetic factors and environmental conditions play an important role in carotenoid accumulation in chili peppers. Carotenoids are also important antioxidants, making them essential nutraceuticals for humans. It is recommended to consume piquin chilies in the ripe stage, when they have the highest carotenoid content and therefore the highest antioxidant activity.

The review discussed various factors that can influence the carotenoid content of piquin chilies, such as the shade conditions in which the fruit can ripen. The carotenoid content of piquin chilies has been found to be highest when the fruit is allowed to ripen or ripen in open fields with natural light, rather than ripening in shaded areas.

Nutraceutical compounds: Capsaicinoids

Capsaicinoids are alkaloids synthesized in the placental and pericarp tissues of fruits of various types of chili peppers. While they serve to protect plants from phytopathogens and herbivores, humans benefit from their antiangiogenic, thermogenic, antineoplastic, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties.

Although the capsaicinoid content of piquin chilies was found to be similar in unripe and ripe fruits, it was found to vary depending on growing conditions. The review discussed various studies that reported that dihydrocapsaicin and capsaicin concentrations were highest in chilies grown under greenhouse conditions.

Nutraceutical compounds: Volatile compounds

The volatile compounds in chili are responsible for its taste, aroma and organoleptic properties, which determine its use. Capsicum species are known to contain various volatile compounds such as organic acids, aldehydes, esters, nitrogenous compounds, terpenoids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, ketones and phenols.

The unripe green fruits of the piquin chili are known to have an herbal, fruity aroma that is due to the complex array of chemicals in the fruit. The concentration of volatile chemicals changes as the piquin chili fruit ripens. The ester content decreases while the content of various other compounds increases, changing the aroma and flavor profiles. Depending on the taste and aromatic preferences of consumers, the fruits are consumed at different stages of ripeness.

Conclusions

In summary, the present review examined the various knowledge requirements for growing nutraceutical plants such as piquin chili under conditions that optimize their nutraceutical content. They also discussed the genetic and environmental factors that influence the concentration of nutraceutical compounds in these crops.

In addition, researchers examined various studies examining the nutraceutical properties of piquin chili, such as carotenoids, capsaicinoids and volatile compounds, which contribute not only to its aroma and taste, but also to health benefits such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor and antineoplastic effects.

Sources: