Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 4 (2025): 1557

Research Article

The pungency of Malaysian peppers: Quantification of capsaicin using high-performance liquid chromatography

Aida Nabila Mustapha Kamal¹, Muhammad Safazul Mohd Jaafar¹, and Mazlyana Mohd Zainul², and Nurhuda Manshoor^1,2*

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

²Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Products Discovery, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

^*Corresponding author: nurhuda15@uitm.edu.my

Received: 29 April 2025; Revised: 25 June 2025; Accepted: 10 July 2025; Published: 22 August 2025

Abstract

Capsaicin, a pungent alkaloid primarily found in chili peppers (Capsicum spp.), has broad applications in food, medicine, and agriculture due to its bioactive properties. This study aimed to rapidly quantify capsaicin content in ten cultivars of Malaysian chili peppers using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Samples were categorized into pericarp, placenta, and seeds to assess tissue-specific distribution. The analysis revealed significant variability in capsaicin concentrations among cultivars and tissues, with the highest levels observed in Capsicum chinense (habanero) and C. frutescens (bird’s eye chili), and the lowest in C. annuum bell peppers. The placenta consistently exhibited the highest capsaicin content, followed by the pericarp and seeds. These findings highlight the critical role of genetic and anatomical factors in determining pungency and confirming the utility of HPLC for accurate and efficient quantification of capsaicin. This research contributes to understanding pungency in Malaysian peppers and supports their potential applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and crop breeding programs.

Keywords: Capsicum, capsaicin, pungency, high-performance liquid chromatography, Malaysian peppers

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