Evaluation Of Fruits Variety And Phytochemical Components Of Species Of Pepper In Akpan Andem Market, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 BACKGROUND of the Study
Currently, people have interest in maintaining good health and an excellent body figure, therefore, they have become more careful in the food they choose to consume, looking for food with a high nutritional value, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity, such as fruits and vegetables. Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated a positive relation between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and a reduction in the mortality rate due to heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases, as well as aging. This is attributed to the fact that these foods are the main source of nutraceutical compounds, such as vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, natural antioxidants, fiber, and other biotic compounds (Bayili et al. 2001; Kaur and Kapoor, 2001).
Peppers (hot and sweet) belong to the Solanaceae family, genus Capsicum (Greenleaf, 1986). This genus originated from Central and South America (Grubben and El Tahir, 2004) and comprises about 30 species, of which, five domesticated that comprise Capsicum annuum L. (hot and sweet peppers), Capsicum frutescens L. or bird pepper, Capsicum chinense Jacq. or aromatic chili pepper, Capsicum baccatum L. (aji), and Capsicum pubescens Ruiz and Pav. (rocoto). The first three species are the most cultivated in both tropical and temperate zones. C. annuum often forms a complex with C. frutescens and C. chinense. In Africa, they are generally considered together as C. annuum L (Grubben and El Tahir, 2004).
The crop spread rapidly across Europe into India, China, and Japan. The new spice, unlike most of the Solanums from the Western Hemisphere, was incorporated into the cuisines instantaneously. Probably for the first time, pepper was no longer a luxury spice only the rich could afford. Since its discovery by Columbus, the crop has been incorporated into most of the world’s cuisines. It has been commercially grown in the United States, when Spanish colonists planted seeds and grew Chile using irrigation from the Rio Chama in northern New Mexico (DeWitt and Gerlach, 1990).
The bell pepper (Capsicum annum L) is a fruit well known for its high content in bioactive compounds and strong antioxidant capacity and it is among the most popular of fresh vegetables worldwide due to its combination of color, flavor, and nutritional value (Blanco-Ríos et al., 2013). The plant, native to North and South America, is most productive in warm, dry climates and is used both medicinally as well as a food in Africa and other countries of the world (Igbokwe et al., 2013). Currently, a broad number of varieties are available in the supermarkets, most of which change from a green color to yellow, orange, red, or purple when they are completely ripe. Green peppers are often harvested before they completely ripen, and the maturity stage can partly account for the content in phytonutrients and thus the consumption of antioxidants in the diet (Shotorbani et al., 2013).
Fresh peppers have exceptionally high quantities of ascorbic acid and their attractive red color is due to several carotenoid pigments that include β-carotene with pro-vitamin A activity and oxygenated carotenoids such as capsantine, capsorubin, and cryptocapsin, which are exclusive to these fruits and have proven to be effective at scavenging free radicals (Deepa et al., 2006). Peppers also contain large quantities of neutral phenolic compounds or flavonoids called quercetin, luteolin, and capsaicinoid (Hasler, 1998). The consumption of these bioactive compounds provide beneficial effects in human health due to their antioxidant properties, which protect against the oxidative damage to cells and thus prevent the development of common degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s (Blanco-Ríos et al., 2013). These chemical compounds also prevent the oxidation of essential fats within the cells of the brain that are considered necessary for its optimal functioning (Oboh and Rocha, 2007).
Peppers (Capsicum annuum) present an important genetic variability of wild and cultivated accessions that differ in their vegetative growth (determined, sympodial, fascicular, etc.), their criteria of fruit quality (shape, weight, length, color, taste, etc.) and their marketable output (Pikersgill 1997; Lester 1998). This variability is not largely appreciated in pepper improvement programs (Paran et al.,1998).
1.2 Objective of the Study
This Present Study aim at Evaluating the fruits variety, phytochemical components and antioxidants of pepper in Akpan Andem market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 Significance of the Study
The present situation indicates that in Akpan andem, there are limited Capsicum species and varieties including both improved and the local ones. As a result, varietal information for the improvement of the crop for high fruit yield and quality in the existing agro-ecology is insufficient. Also there are few research on evaluation of hot pepper which enables the growers to select the best performing varieties in the study area. Evaluation of selected varieties was therefore one of the considerations to ease the existing problems of obtaining the desired varieties for which the output of this study was likely to assist and sensitize hot pepper growers and processors. Better adaptable and well performing variety (varieties) with improved cultural practices could be a possibility to boost quality and marketable production of the crop in the study area.
Leave a Comment