PROFILES OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF SOME PEPPER FRUIT (CAPSICUM L.) VARIETIES GROWN IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Besides the use of pepper as a food ingredient, many developing countries use it in indigenous medicine. The aim of this work was to isolate bioactive compounds from some varieties of pepper (Capsicum) grown and consumed in Cote d'Ivoire, and to assess the ability of organic solvent to extract these compounds. Crude acetone extract contained 35 mg C. annuum antillais and 53 mg C. frutescens attie material in 0.5 g of pepper powder. The dry matter obtained from the petroleum ether extract (lipid compounds) ranges from 459 mg (C. frutescens doux ) to 712 mg (C. frutescens attie). That from the methanol extract varies from 985 mg to 1994 mg versus 74 mg to 172 mg for the dichloromethane, and 49 mg to 155 mg for the acetone in the successive extraction. Polar, non polar and acid compounds of intermediate polarity range from 33 to 34 compounds for C. annuum and from 27 to 33 for C. frutescens. The number of lipid compounds isolated from C. annuum varies from 32 to 33 and 24 to 29 in C. frutescens. The total non-lipid compounds ranges from 88 to 103 for C. annuum, and 84 to 96 for C. frutescens. The number of lipid compounds was higher for C. annuum than for C. frutescens. Methanol has the best extraction profile. The number of compounds isolated was highly variable depending on the variety of Capsicum. Identification and characterization of the compounds isolated are needed for their used in the food and pharmaceutical industry and also in medicinal therapy.