ABSTRACT
Hot or spicy peppers are among the most popular food additives around the world because of their sensory attributes of pungency, aroma, and color. They are found to be very commercially important, as vast quantities of the diverse varieties of peppers are consumed around the world. The food industry usually uses enormous amounts of capsicum species as coloring and avoring agents in different types of soups, sauces, snacks, candies, soft drinks, processed meats, and alcoholic beverages. Pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L.) are also considered important vegetables and have been vastly used as vegetable foods in various parts of the world, including as a source of food supplements in the form of vitamins C and E [1,2] as well as provitamin A and carotenoids compounds [3-5]. There are more than 200 varieties of Capsicum species that can be found throughout the world [6]. The capsicum fruits vary in their size, shape, avor, and sensory heat level. Among the various species of capsicum, the main species are, (i) Capsicum annuum (comprising the NuMex, Jalapeño, and Bell varieties), (ii) Capsicum frutescens (Tabasco variety), (iii) Capsicum chinense (Habanero and Scotch Bonnet varieties), (iv) Capsicum baccatum (Aji varieties), and (v) Capsicum pubescens (Rocoto and Manzano varieties) [6].
