Types and Quantities of Carotenoids in Brown and Purple Paprika during Ripening．

Immature fruits of brown and purple varieties of paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) are brown, dark purple or light purple, but they all turn red when the fruits are fully mature. However, no assessments have been conducted into the types and quantities of carotenoid components in these fruit varieties, nor their changes during fruit maturation. Therefore, in this study we analyzed the carotenoid components of ‘Brownie’, ‘Mavras’ and ‘Tequila’ varieties of paprika at different stages of fruit maturation.

Plants were grown hydroponically and sample portions were obtained from the middle part of the fruits at 40, 50, 60 and 70 days after anthesis. Then the carotenoid (β-carotene, capsanthin, capsorbin, lutein and violaxantin) contents of the samples were analyzed by HPLC with a photodiode array detector.

The quantities of carotenoids were increased sharply as ripening for these varieties. In the matured brown variety (Brownie) the main carotenoid was capsanthin, whereas in the light (Tequila) and dark purple (Mavras) varieties it was capsorbin. However, in over-matured fruits the quantities of carotenoids decreased in all varieties.

Therefore, our findings indicate that the quantity of carotenoids increases during paprika fruit maturation, but that the main carotenoid varies between the different varieties.