Encapsulation of bioactives in rocoto chili (Capsicum pubescens) pulp using agro-industrial by-products: Enhancing stability and pungency

The rocoto chili pepper (Capsicum pubescens) is a lesser-known domesticated species of chili pepper, valued for its pungency and aromatic properties. Chili peppers are regarded as functional foods due to bioactive phytochemicals. Various drying techniques are employed to extend the relatively short shelf life of these peppers, including oven drying, natural convection drying, solar drying, and smoke drying. Nevertheless, no studies have yet examined the production of chili powders by encapsulating the fruit pulp using drying techniques. This study employed three agro-industrial products (maltodextrin, rice flour, and rice protein), which are inexpensive and readily available in Colombian chili-producing regions, to safeguard the capsaicinoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids present in the chili pulp. The encapsulated chili pulp powders were subjected to analysis for capsaicinoid content, other bioactive compounds (total phenols, flavonoids, and capsaicinoids), and antioxidant activity. Similar measurements were made for vacuum-dried chili pulp without encapsulants. The study also examined the evolution of bioactive concentrations under ultraviolet-C light and incandescent light irradiation, as well as the microbiological quality before and after UV-C irradiation treatments.