Changes in FA composition and antioxidative activity of pigment extracts from Korean red pepper powder (Capsicum annuum L.) due to processing conditions

Abstract

The FA compositions by parts of Korean red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were analyzed, and the changes in FA composition and antioxidative activity in pigment extracts due to processing were investigated. The main FA in the pericarp and seeds were palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids. Linoleic acid in the seeds was 73.9% of the total FA, or about 1.7 times as much as in the pericarp. Linolenic acid was scarcely present in the seeds. The percentages of unsaturated FA in the pericarp and seeds were 73.3 and 83.2, respectively. The ratios among FA varied according to the processing conditions, but the FA compositions themselves remained approximately the same. The antioxidative activity of pigment extracts in the photooxidation of linoleic acid was measured by monitoring oxygen consumption and conjugated diene formation. Changes in drying methods resulted in significant differences in antioxidative activity, but changes in storage conditions had little effect. Conjugated diene formation and oxygen consumption were positively correlated. An improved drying method could allow the antioxidative activity of red pepper pigments to be conserved.