Phytochemical Characterization of By‐Products of Habanero Pepper Grown in Two Different Types of Soils from Yucatán, Mexico

By‐products of edible plants may contain potentially useful phytochemicals. Herein, we

valorized the by‐products of Capsicum chinense by phytochemical characterization of its leaves, peduncles

and stems. Plants of habanero pepper were grown in a greenhouse, in polyethylene bags

with two soils that were named according to the Maya classification as: K’ankab lu’um (red soil)

and Box lu’um (black soil). Habanero pepper by‐products were dried using an oven, the extracts

were obtained by Ultrasound Assisted Extraction, and phytochemical quantification in all the extracts

was conducted by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Diode Array Detector

(UPLC‐DAD). Differences in the phytochemical content were observed according to the byproduct

and soil used. Catechin and rutin showed the highest concentrations in the peduncles of

plants grown in both soils. The leaves of plants grown in black soil were rich in myricetin, β‐carotene,

and vitamin E, and the stems showed the highest protocatechuic acid content. While the leaves

of plants grown in red soil were rich in myricetin and vitamin C, the stems showed the highest

chlorogenic acid content. This novel information regarding the phytochemical composition of the

by‐products of C. chinense may be relevant in supporting their potential application in food and

pharmaceutical industries.