Preliminary Study of Pepper Types Based on Multielement Content Combined with Chemometrics

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Peppers (Piper nigrum L. and Capsicum annuum L.) are globally utilized spices with known nutritional and therapeutic benefits.
• Detailed elemental characterization is crucial for understanding their properties and potential applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively determine the macro- and microelement content of different pepper varieties.
• To differentiate pepper types based on their elemental composition using chemometric analysis.

Main Methods:

• Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed for elemental analysis.
• Microwave-assisted digestion with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide was used for sample preparation.
• Chemometric methods were applied to evaluate and interpret the elemental data.

Main Results:

• Macro- and microelement levels were within expected ranges for spices.
• Significant variations in elemental content were observed among the four pepper types.
• Elemental profiles clearly distinguished white pepper (due to processing) and cayenne pepper (due to species) from green and black pepper.

Conclusions:

• The elemental composition of peppers is characteristic of their plant species and processing methods.
• ICP-MS coupled with chemometrics provides a robust method for differentiating pepper varieties.
• This detailed elemental data enhances the characterization of peppers as functional foods.