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Petra Kirschbaum-Titze

Publications and source records attributed to Petra Kirschbaum-Titze.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Pungency in paprika (Capsicum annuum). 1. Decrease of capsaicinoid content following cellular disruption.

The capsaicinoid content in fruits of Capsicum annuum decreased within several days to a level of only 10% of the starting value when cells were disrupted by homogenization. This decrease was not observed in fruits that were carefully cut into halves. The analysis of one half made it possible to determine the reference content at time zero for the second half. A much lower decrease was observed when minced fruits were stored under nitrogen, whereas storage under oxygen resulted in considerable losses of capsaicinoids, indicating oxidative processes as a cause for the decrease of capsaicinoid content.

Capsaicin↗

Pungency in paprika (Capsicum annuum). 2. Heterogeneity of capsaicinoid content in individual fruits from one plant.

The capsaicinoid content of individual fruits from a single plant harvested at the same time after flowering exhibits a wide range of values with a rather uniform pattern for the ratio of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin. This observation is confirmed by the analysis of fruits from a second and third plant and for several harvest times at different stages of maturity. Competition with lignin-like material, environmental influences, and subcellular distribution may play a role in the synthesis and transformation of capsaicinoids.

Capsaicin↗