Bioactive compounds and descriptors analysis of six cultivars of Capsicum spp.

Although peppers have a specific niche of use, due to their use in gastronomy, studies on morphoagronomic characterization and their nutritional qualities are scarce. The objective of this work was to evaluate the main descripts and to quantify bioactive compounds of the most cultivated pepper cultivars (Capsicum spp.) and consumed in the state of Roraima, Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with three replications, and the following peppers were evaluated: ‘Malagueta’, ‘Mesa’, ‘Cheiro’, ‘Canaimé’, ‘Olho de peixe’ and ‘Muripi’. Each plot consisted of seven seedlings. The following descriptors were analyzed: canopy diameter, plant height, stem color, stem diameter, height of the 1st bifurcation, and leaf length. The following bioactive and other compounds were also evaluated: calories, capsaicin, total anthocyanins, carotenoids, titratable acidity, pH, total and soluble fibers, total and reducing sugars, humidity, ashes, lipids, carbohydrates, soluble solids, proteins, antioxidant activity by ORAC and DPPH methods, phenolic compounds and vitamin C. It was observed that the cultivars Mesa, Malagueta, Olho de Peixe and Cheiro presented the best results regarding height, stem diameter, cup diameter, favorable to field cultivation. It was also verified that the best cultivar for consumption was Malagueta, since it presented higher indices of physicalchemical analyzes, higher levels of bioactive compounds and the highest antioxidant activity