Impact of cooking methods on antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content of jalapeño peppers
Jalapeño peppers are widely consumed because of their distinctive flavor and nutritional value. Known to contain significant levels of ascorbic acid and antioxidant compounds, they have attracted scientific interest. In this study, we investigated how thermal processing (boiling, steaming, stir-frying, and roasting) affects the antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content of jalapeño peppers. Cooking times of 5, 10, and 15 minutes were used, and all samples were analyzed in triplicate. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, with absorbance measured at 517 nm using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer, while ascorbic acid content was determined by titration with 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP). The ascorbic acid content of raw jalapeño peppers was 48.40 mg/100 g; after 15 minutes, boiling reduced it to 14.82 mg/100 g, steaming to 15.67 mg/100 g, stir-frying to 26.71 mg/100 g, and roasting to 33.59 mg/100 g. Antioxidant activity, measured as the percentage of DPPH scavenging, was 76.21 % in raw samples; it decreased to 28.42 and 30.38 % after boiling and steaming, respectively, while stir-frying and roasting increased it to 52.18 and 61.74 %, respectively. Overall, thermal processing affected the functional quality of jalapeño peppers. Among the methods tested, roasting best preserved both antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid, making it the most favorable cooking technique for maintaining nutritional value.
Keywords: Bioactive compound, cooking effects, DPPH radical scavenging, nutritional value, vitamin C.
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