Capsaicin is the main compound in peppers that specifically triggers the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel. TRPV1 of the body signals the brain that a food is spicy. The amount of capsaicin is interesting because humans are the only ones who find spicy flavors appealing, while other animals are repulsed by it. This gives rise to an interest in quantifying the amount of capsaicin in peppers. Capsaicin concentration was determined in three different pepper types including Jalapeño, Serrano, and Cayenne. A solid-liquid extraction was used to isolate the capsaicin, followed by UV-VIS spectroscopy to determine the amount of capsaicin in each pepper. The concentration of capsaicin in Jalapeño and Serrano peppers are not significantly different. However, Cayenne peppers have a lower concentration of capsaicin. Our data indicated that the color of the pepper did not affect capsaicin concentration. However these are not the only factors that contribute to the capsaicin production of a pepper. Therefore, four Jalapeño plants were planted by using store bought seeds. After the seeds germinated, the plants were placed in separate pots. The amount of water that each plant received varied in order to determine the amount of water that results in the highest production of capsaicin. After the plants produced Jalapeño fruit, the same solid-liquid extraction procedure was performed followed by UV-VIS spectroscopy to determine the amount of capsaicin in each pepper.

Factors that determine the amount of capsaicin in jalapeño peppers

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.