Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of Fruit Ripening Stage and Harvest Period on the Antioxidant Content of Sweet Pepper Cultivars

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits are highly appreciated by producers and consumers for their economical and nutritional value. Four different cultivars of coloured peppers in immature and mature stages were harvested throughout the spring and examined for their content of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and total antioxidant capacity (TAA) as well as for lipid peroxidation and carbonyl proteins as index of oxidative stress. Ripening and harvest period influenced the antioxidants and the development of oxidative processes in the cultivars differently: lipid peroxidation increased in mature peppers except in one cultivar (Y1075), while no changes in protein oxidation or in TAA were produced, except in Y1075 in which both parameters increased. Each cultivar presented differences in antioxidant compounds depending on the harvest period, but we could recommend May as the optimal if all cultivars have to be harvested at the same time, when levels of ascorbate, phenols and TAA were not decreased, fresh weight and proteins were elevated, and levels of oxidation were not as high as in June (except for Y1075). A previous study of the response of each cultivar to different environmental conditions results essential to establish a good program of selection of cultivars with high quality and productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ASC:

L-ascorbic acid

CO-protein:

Carbonylated-proteins

DHA:

Dehydroascorbate

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

TAA:

Total antioxidant activity

TBARS:

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

References

  1. Howard LR, Talcott SL, Brenes CH, Villalon B (2000) Changes in phytochemical and antioxidant activity of selected pepper cultivar (Capsicum annum) as influenced by maturity. J Agric Food Chem 48:1713–1720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Palma JM, Corpas FJ, del Río LA (2009) Plant vitamin antioxidants and their influence on the human diet. In: Papareschi A, Eppolito H (eds), Vegetable Consumption and Health. New York: Nova Science Publishers, pp 127–138

  3. Sies H (1991) Oxidative stress-from basic research to clinical-application. Am J Med 91:S31–S38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Seddon JM, Ajani UA, Sperduto RD, Hiller R, Blair N, Burton TC, Farber MD, Gragoudas ES, Haller J, Miller DT, Yannuzzi LA, Willet W (1994) Dietary carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. J Am Med Assoc 272:1413–1420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Knekt P, Jarvinen R, Reunanen A, Maatela J (1996) Flavonoid intake and coronary mortality in Finland: A cohort study. Br Med J 312:478–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bouvier F, Backhaus RA, Camara B (1998) Induction and control of chromoplast-specific carotenoid genes by oxidative stress. J Biol Chem 273:30651–30659

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Martí MC, Camejo D, Olmos E, Sandalio LM, Fernández-García N, Jiménez A, Sevilla F (2009) Characterization and changes in the antioxidant system of chloroplasts and chromoplasts isolated from green and mature pepper fruits. Plant Biol 11:613–624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Jiménez A, Romojaro F, Llanos MR, Gómez JM, León A, Sevilla F (2003) Antioxidant systems and their relationship with the response of pepper fruits to the storage at 20 °C. J Agric Food Chem 51:6293–6299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Moller IM, Kristensen BK (2004) Protein oxidation in plant mitochondria as a stress indicator. Photochem Photobiol Sci 3:730–735

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Foyer CH, Noctor G (2005) Redox homeostasis and antioxidant signalling: A metabolic interface between stress perception and physiological responses. Plant Cell 17:1866–1875

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jiménez A, Creissen G, Kular B, Firmin J, Robinson S, Verhoeyen M, Mullineaux P (2002) Changes in oxidative processes and components of the antioxidant system during tomato fruit ripening. Planta 214:751–758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mateos RM, León AM, Sandalio LM, Gómez M, del Río LA, Palma JM (2003) Peroxisomes from pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L): Purification, characterization and antioxidant activity. J Plant Physiol 160:1507–1516

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Namiki M (1990) Antioxidants/antimutagens in food. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 29:273–300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rimm EB, Katan MB, Ascherío A, Stampfer MJ, Willet WC (1996) Relation between intake of flavonoids and risk of coronary heart disease in male health professionals. Ann Intern Med 125:384–389

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gil ML, Tomás-Barberán FA, Hess-Pierce B, Karder A (2002) Antioxidant capacity, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamina C of nectarine, peach and plum cultivars from California. J Agric Food Chem 50:4976–4982

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Byers T, Perry G (1992) Dietary carotenes, vitamin-c, and vitamin-e as protective antioxidants in human cancers. Annu Rev Nutr 12:139–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cakmak I, Horst WJ (1991) Effect of aluminium on lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activities in root tips of soybean. Physiol Plant 83:463–468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Levine RL, Williams JA, Stadtman ER, Shacter E (1994) Carbonyl assays for determination of oxidatively modified proteins. Oxygen Rad Biol Syst 233:346–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Marín A, Ferreres F, Tomás-Barberán F, Gil MI (2004) Characterization and quantification of antioxidant constituents of sweet pepper. J Agric Food Chem 52:3861–3869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Estrada B, Bernal MA, Diaz J, Pomar F, Merino F (2000) Fruit development in Capsicum annuum: Changes in capsaicin, lignin, free phenolics, and peroxidase patterns. J Agric Food Chem 48:6234–6239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Martínez S, Curros A, Bermúdez J, Carballo J, Franco I (2007) The composition of Arnoia peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) at different stages of maturity. Int J Food Sci Nutr 58:150–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Rogiers SY, Kumar MGN, Knowles NR (1998) Maturation and ripening of fruit of Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. are accompanied by increasing oxidative stress. Ann Bot 81:203–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Camejo D, Martí MC, Román P, Ortiz A, Jiménez A (2010) Antioxidant system and protein pattern in peach fruits at two maturation stages. J Agric Food Chem 58:11140–11147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Martínez-Esteso MJ, Sellés-Marchart S, Lijavetzky D, Pedreño MA, Bru-Martínez R (2011) A DIGE-based quantitative proteomic analysis of grape berry flesh development and ripening reveals key events in sugar and organic acid metabolism. J Exp Bot 62:2521–2569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Biles CL, Wall MM, Blackstone K (1993) Morphological and physiological changes during maturation of new Mexican type peppers. J Am Soc Hort Sci 118:476–480

    Google Scholar 

  27. Meir S, Philosoph-Hadas S, Zauberman G, Fuchs Y, Akerman M, Aharoni N (1991) Increased formation of fluorescent lipid-peroxidation products in avocado peels precedes other signs of ripening. J Am Soc Hort Sci 116:823–826

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhang D, Hamauzu Y (2003) Phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and antioxidant properties of green, red and yellow bell peppers. J Food Agric Environ 2:22–27

    Google Scholar 

  29. Yao LH, Jiang YM, Shi J, Tomas-Barberan FA, Dutta N, Singanusong R, Chen SS (2004) Flavonoids in food and their health benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 59:113–122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Klepacka J, Gujska E, Michalak J (2011) Phenolic compounds as cultivar- and variety-distinguishing factors in some plant products. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 66:64–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Proteggente AR, Pannala AS, Paganga G, Van Buren L, Wagner E, Wiseman S, Van de Put F, Dacombe C, Rice-Evans CA (2002) The antioxidant activity of regularly consumed fruit and vegetables reflects their phenolic and vitamin C composition. Free Rad Res 36:217–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Simonne AH, Simonne EH, Eitenmiller RR, Mills HA, Green NR (1997) Ascorbic acid and provitamin A contents in unusually colored bell peppers. J Food Comp Anal 10:299–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Matsufuji H, Ishikawa K, Nunomura O, Chino M, Takeda M (2007) Antioxidant content of different coloured sweet peppers, white, green, yellow, orange and red (Capsicum annuum L.). Int J Food Sci Tech 42:1482–1488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Ribeiro SRM, de Queiroz JH, Lopes ME, de Queiroz R, Campos FM, Sant’ana HMP (2007) Antioxidant in mango (Mangifera indica L.) pulp. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 62:13–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Lee SK, Kader AA (2000) Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops. Postharv Biol Technol 20:207–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by MICINN (AGL2008-00834), BIOCARM (BIO-BVA 07/04-0015) and SÉNECA Foundation (04553/GERM/06, Murcia) projects. Authors would like to thank the technical assistance of B. Pallol and S. Correa from CEBAS and Prof S. Hasler for correcting the English in the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Stress Biology and Plant Pathology, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    María C. Martí, Daymi Camejo, Félix Romojaro, Francisca Sevilla & Ana Jiménez

  2. Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Fernando Vallejo

  3. Syngenta Seeds, S.A., 04710, El Ejido, Almería, Spain

    Sierra Bacarizo

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plants, EEZ-CSIC, P.O. Box 419, 18080, Granada, Spain

    José M. Palma

Authors
  1. María C. Martí
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daymi Camejo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fernando Vallejo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Félix Romojaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sierra Bacarizo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. José M. Palma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Francisca Sevilla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Ana Jiménez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Jiménez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martí, M.C., Camejo, D., Vallejo, F. et al. Influence of Fruit Ripening Stage and Harvest Period on the Antioxidant Content of Sweet Pepper Cultivars. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 66, 416–423 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-011-0249-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-011-0249-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation