Determination of nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and pungency levels in pepper sauces by RP-HPLC: Capsaicinoid levels and pungency classification of commercial pepper sauces

Abstract

Capsaicinoids are a class of compounds that confer various pungency levels to peppers, and have a range of applications as dietary supplements, medications, pain relievers, and sprays for repelling animals and personal attackers. Although analyses and classifications of peppers have been extensively reported in the literature, data describing and classifying the pungency of Brazilian pepper sauces are scarce. The objective of the present work was therefore to measure the levels of nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin, and dihydrocapsaicin in commercial pepper sauce samples, classify their pungency, and compare them with the recommended daily intake limits. Solvent extraction was performed using ethanol, and capsaicinoids were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Most of the samples had mild to moderate pungency expressed in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). There were no significant differences between sauces with and without milk on the pungency of green or red pepper sauces. Capsaicin levels were below the recommended daily intake limits. The capsaicin levels found in all but two of the pepper sauces were below the recommended limits for capsaicin daily intake in industrial foods samples. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) specifications, the classification of pungency is not a valid criterion for classifying pepper sauces; therefore, a new classification was proposed.