The composition of two Spanish pepper varieties (Fresno de la Vega and Benavente-Los Valles) in different ripening stages
2008
Bernardo, Ana | Martinez, Sidonia | Álvarez, María | Fernandez, Ana | Lopez, Mercedes
The chemical composition of two traditional varieties of Spanish peppers, "Fresno de la Vega" and "Benavente-Los Valles" harvested in the provinces of León and Zamora, respectively, at different ripening stages (green mature, breaker and red) were evaluated. Herein we report the global composition, mineral and trace element contents, and the most relevant physicochemical parameters of each variety of pepper collected in 2 consecutive years. Both pepper varieties showed a similar chemical composition, except in vitamin C content, which resulted to be about 70% higher in Fresno de la Vega peppers. Red ripe fruits were high in total carbohydrates, fructose, glucose, sucrose, fat (64.5, 29.14, 25.57, 2.94, 1.79/100 g dry weight, respectively) and total soluble solids (6.83°Brix). Ascorbic acid content also increased progressively during ripening, reaching a mean value of 1.81 mg/100 g dry weight for Fresno de la Vega peppers. Potassium was the most abundant of the analyzed elements in the all samples, followed by phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and sodium. The order of the levels of the trace elements was iron > manganese > zinc > copper. This report underscores the potential value of two traditional varieties of Spanish peppers and provides information on their composition during ripening to decide the proper harvesting time, which can be useful in the food industry.
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