A simple colorimetric method involving sodium tungstate-phosphomolybdic acid reagent is described for determining the pungency, due to capsaicin present in oleoresin of chilli fruits. Capsaicin concentration of some locally available chilli fruits and its pericarp, after removal of seed were determined with reference to a calibration graph. Oleoresin nitrogen concentrations of some samples were also determined by conventional Kjeldahl's method and converted to capsaicin by suitable multiplication factor. The results are compared and discussed.
Capsaicin, chilli fruits, oleoresin, colorimetric method, kjeldahl nitrogen
