Efecto del tratamiento térmico en las propiedades nutracéuticas del chile chilaca (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Pepper is one of the main fruits culture in Mexico, and because its economical importance, in Mexican cuisine it has gastronomical importance, being the most consumed dish the salsas, due to the mentioned facts the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermal treatments on the phytochemicals of peppers before and after the elaboration of salsa. Two thermal treatments for the salsa elaboration were analyzed: conventional and microwaves; and chilaca (fresh) and pasilla (dehydrated) peppers mix with water or cream. These conditions were selected from the traditional ways of cooking employed in typical recipes. Vitamin C, carotenoids, chlorophylls and phenolic compounds were determined in the salsas; as well as the antioxidant activity of the extracted phytochemicals by DPPH+ (2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method. Color was evaluated by the CIELAB system. The vitamin C content decreased (p≤ 0.05) in both peppers treated by both methods. In chilaca peppers the chlorophyll content decreased (p≤ 0.05) with both treatments and mixed with cream or water, meanwhile at pasilla pepper these pigments increase (p≤ 0.05) with both treatments using water and with cream it only increased (p≤ 0.05) at conventional. The total carotenoid content increased (p≤ 0.05) in both peppers using water and the two treatments. No changes in the carotenoid contet were observed when cream was used. The phenolic content decreased (p≤ 0.05) in chilaca pepper with water and cream at both treatments, and at pasilla pepper these content increased (p≤ 0.05). The antioxidant activity of the phytochemicals extracted from the salsas did not change with the thermal treatment or with the use of water or cream. In color determination, it was observed that the Chroma value increase in chilaca pepper mixed with water or cream, meanwhile this increase was only observed with pasilla mixed with cream. The present study showed that the thermal treatment has an influence on the phytochemical content of peppers, but on the antioxidant activity exerted by these compounds.