P-520 - Capsaicin extraction and detection from chili pepper and plant protection

Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), a molecule in the fruits of the Capsicum genus plants, can provide a natural defense mechanism against many bacteria, fungus, and infection, and can facilitate antimicrobial activity, prevent growth of fungi in grains, suppress plant pathogens. While this capsaicinoid is an active ingredient of chili peppers, the existing knowledge of extraction and detection of capsaicin requires further improvement in order to enhance its application in plant protection, food industry, and human health. The goal of this study was to develop an extraction method of capsaicin from various types of chili peppers using organic solvents. Currently, limited information exists in terms of the quantity of capsaicin present in various chili peppers, and conventional extraction methods do not provide consistent yield. We developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for identify and quantify the capsaicin in a variety of Capsicum spp. Capsaicin was extracted from wet chili peppers and dried chili peppers using acetonitrile, acetone, and alcohol in order to compare the impacts of organic solvents on the extraction process. We used C₁₈ column and isocratic flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The mobile solvents were water (0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (30:70). The detection was performed in Diode Array Detector (DAD) at wavelengths of 220 nm and 280 nm. This novel technique provided a short method for the detection of capsaicin with substantially low amount of solvents need for reliable detection.