Abstract

RESTREPO GALLEGO, Mauricio; LLANOS RIOS, Natalia  and  FONSECA ECHEVERRI, Carlos Enrique. Composition of oleoresins from two kinds of chili pepper (habanero and tabasco) obtained by lixiviation with organic solvents. Rev. Lasallista Investig. [online]. 2007, vol.4, n.1, pp.14-19. ISSN 1794-4449.

Introduction. In the development of new processes and ingredients for food industry, extraction techniques allow us to obtain active principles from natural products, good for human consuming and strongly related to the tendency towards a healthier and free of contaminants feeding. Oleoresins from vegetables allow us to work with dye and aromatic components (as in the case of peppers, for which, extraction with organic solvents is a common practice that must be refined in such a way that only safe and apt for human consumption substances are used). Objective. To compare the composition of oleoresin from two kinds of chili pepper (Tabasco and habanero) extracted with two different solvents (hexane and ethyl acetate). Materials and methods. Dry material from both kinds of chili pepper were taken and submitted to extraction with two different organic solvents (hexane and ethyl acetate). The oleoresins that resulted from this procedure were concentrated to calculate their performance in extraction and then analyzed in a HPLC to determine their contents of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. Results. We found that ethyl acetate is a better solvent than hexane; it shows a general percentage of extraction of 11.23% compared to a 7.14%. In the characterization with the HPLC we found acceptable concentrations of the pungent principles (capsaicine and dihydrocapsaicin), corresponding to the theoretical values in which habanero pepper represents a value between 150000 and 325000 Scoville units and the Tabasco, between 50000 and 10000 Scoville units. Conclusion. In an extraction process for chili peppers, a better extraction performance is obtained by using ethyl acetate as solvent and a better concentration of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin by using habanero chili pepper.

Keywords : Extraction; Oleoresin; Chili pepper; Capsaicin; Dihydrocapsaicin.

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