Assessment of Color, Capsaicinoids, Carotenoids and Fatty Acids Composition of Paprika Produced from Moroccan Pepper Cultivars (Capsicum Annuum L.)

Analysed quality parameters of paprika powder ( Capsicum annuum L.) collected from three localities in Morocco (Tadla, Gharb and Elkalaa des Sraghna) were color, total capsaicinoids, total carotenoid, fat content and fatty acid composition. The oil contents of paprika powder collected from the three localities varied relatively from 7.55g to 8.67 g/100 g. The main fatty acids among the different paprika oils were linoleic acid (60.1–70.9%), oleic acid (12.1–16.1%) and palmitic acid (7.7-14.5%). Remarkable amounts of capsaicinoids were found in the different locations, with a maximum obtained for Elkalaa des Sraghna paprika (184.97mg/kg). Total carotenoid content values averaged from 2323.66 to 3025.05 mg/kg dw with the high content obtained for the Tadla paprika. The ASTA Values differ significantly between the three localities; the high value of ASTA 20 was obtained for Tadla paprika. The present study showed that the different paprika powders are a potential source of valuable oil and Color that could be used for edible and industrial applications. Keywords : Capsicum annuum L., Paprika, Oil, Fatty acid, Capsaicinoids, Total carotenoid, ASTA, Color.