Effect of traditional dehydration processing of pepper jalapeno rayado (Capsicum annuum) on secondary metabolites with antioxidant activity

Jalapeno rayado peppers (Capsicum annuum) are usually subjected to a traditional smoke-dehydration process using Quercus sp. This treatment provides peppers with their characteristic functional attributes. To differentiate the production of antioxidant metabolites during the dehydrationsmoking process, this process was compared with convective dehydration, both at 60°C. A higher antioxidant activity in smoke-dried pepper was observed due to the increase in concentration of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and Maillard products in the last hours of the process and was related to the presence of radicals with m/z (-) values: 585.32, 292.2, 326.18, 653.28, 240.11 and 210.14, generated during both dehydration processes. The change in colour was mainly due to the increase of Maillard compounds. Convective dehydration favoured the extraction of capsaicinoids, whereas no significant change was observed in smoke-dehydration, and carotenoid degradation was 40% with either process. A similar final moisture content was achieved in both processes.