Bulk process for enrichment of capsinoids from capsicum fruit

Authors: Cantrell, Charles; Jarret, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Processes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2022
Publication Date: 2/4/2022
Citation: Cantrell, C.L., Jarret, R.L. 2022. Bulk process for enrichment of capsinoids from capsicum fruit. Processes. 10(2):305. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020305.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020305

Interpretive Summary: Capsinoids, the non-pungent analogs of capsaicinoids (i.e. capsaicin), were first identified in fruit of the sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivar CH-19. Numerous subsequent studies have reported that many (but not all) of the types and degrees of biological activity characteristic of capsaicinoids are also characteristic of capsinoids. The fruit of high-capsiate genotypes represent a commercial source of these compounds. To date, no method has been published that efficiently extracts and purifies capsinoids from Capsicum fruit in a rapid and simple bulk process. This study evaluated the efficacy of various organic solvents for the extraction of capsinoids from dried pepper fruit. Among the organic solvents evaluated, pentane appeared to provide a good combination of both recovery and purity. A subsequent liquid/liquid extraction step, utilizing pentane and acetonitrile, resulted in 26.3 % (wt/wt) capsiate and 19.4 % (wt/wt) dihydrocapsiate for a combined capsinoids yield of 45.7 % (wt/wt).

Technical Abstract: Various methods to synthesize capsinoids (the nonpungent analogs of capsaicinoids) from precursor molecules have been reported. Capsinoids are also naturally present, at typically low concentrations, in the fruit of many Capsicum species and genotypes. However, they are also present in the fruit of select genotypes at high concentrations. The fruit of high-capsiate genotypes represent a commercial source of these compounds. To date, no method has been published that efficiently extracts and purifies capsinoids from Capsicum fruit in a rapid and simple bulk process. This study evaluated the efficacy of various organic solvents for the extraction of capsinoids from dried pepper fruit. Among the organic solvents evaluated, pentane appeared to provide a good combination of both recovery and purity. A subsequent liquid/liquid extraction step, utilizing pentane and acetonitrile, resulted in 26.3 % (wt/wt) capsiate and 19.4 % (wt/wt) dihydrocapsiate for a combined capsinoids yield of 45.7 % (wt/wt). A third step, involving a rapid hp20ss chromatography column using a water/acetonitrile gradient, resulted in a combined capsinoids yield of 96.6 % (wt/wt).