CapsicumSeeds as a Source of Bioactive Compounds: Biological Properties, Extraction Systems, and Industrial Application

Abstract

Recent research has substantially focused on residual subproducts containing chemical compounds with bioactive properties. Even though there are some culinary or medicinal uses of Capsicum seeds, there is still a seed mass waste from pepper processing. Many pepper leading producer countries generally lack the facilities and infrastructure required for such processing technologies and so, pepper seeds are usually either destroyed or employed as landfilling or as animal feed. This involves an inadvertent economic loss for producers as well as a detrimental environmental impact. However, there is a hidden potential within the pepper processing industry related to valorization of pepper seeds to obtain added value by-products and thus reduce generated waste. Pepper seeds are a good source of antioxidants, carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and vitamins C, E, and A and are also rich in volatile compounds, among others. The unique alkaloids of this genus are capsaicinoids and capsainoids, which have been linked to many beneficial biochemical and pharmacological effects including anti-oxidative or anti-inflammatory activities. Other prominent bioactive compounds of peppers seeds include saponins, lectins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this context, an overview of the biological properties, extraction systems, and possible industrial application of bioactive compounds of pepper whole fruit and seeds is presented.

Application of Green Extraction Techniques for Natural Additives Production

“…This technique has the advantages over other traditional methods of having a high selectivity and efficiency, being an environmentally friendly process with a minimum consumption of energy and chemical products, having good performance and the possibility of recycling the process. However, it also has some drawbacks such as the cost of the enzymes, the need for storage tanks that may require long-term incubation, the lack of knowledge about optimal or compatible enzyme formulations for cell disruption and the inability to fully hydrolyze the bonds in the plant cell wall [136].…”

“…Among the advantages of this method are the absence of toxic residues in the final product, high selectivity, short times, low consumption of solvents, high stability of the product obtained and that the remaining biomass can be treated with other techniques to continue the extraction. This technique can also be used to remove undesirable compounds such as pollutants, toxins, and pesticides [136].…”

Vegetable by-products in the European food legislative framework

“…Annual global production in 2018. reached approximately 5.5 million tons (dried chilies and peppers (FAO, 2021). Like many fruits and vegetables, peppers are an excellent source of starch, dietary fiber, protein, lipids minerals, vitamins E, C and A, amino acids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids (O'Sullivan et al, 2010, Sandoval-Castro et al, 2017, Echave et al, 2020. The level of nutritional and bioactive compounds differs depending on the pepper fruit part (placenta, pericarp, and seeds), the cultivar or variety, the ripening stage, the climatic and storage conditions as well as the manufacturing practices (Jayaprakasha et al, 2012).…”

Effect of soaking and air‐resting on the phytochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of Piper guineense (Schum and Thonn) seeds

“…Such seeds include grape seeds, which contain proanthocyanidins that may help in the prevention of skin cancer development as a result of the reduction in oxidative stress and alteration of cytokine activity 11 . Pepper seeds are a good source of antioxidants such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, as well as antimicrobial agents such as capsaicin and capsiates 10 . Tomato seeds contain lycopene, a red plant pigment known to be a powerful singlet oxygen quencher, and so can play a vital role in disease prevention 9 .…”

“…1,7 Humans consume these bioactive compounds to assist in disease prevention and management. 1,5 Seeds are an abundant source of bioactive compounds, [7][8][9][10][11] which play important roles in the management of some illnesses. 5,9 Such seeds include grape seeds, which contain proanthocyanidins that may help in the prevention of skin cancer development as a result of the reduction in oxidative stress and alteration of cytokine activity.…”