Chemical fingerprints of 10 Capsicum varieties through non-targeted UHPLC-HRMS analysis combined with a chemometric approach: a first step towards fraud detection and prevention

Chili peppers belong to the Solanaceae family and the Capsicum genus [ 1 ]. It is one of the most widely consumed vegetables in the word, primarily due to its sensory attributes, as well as its rich content of nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids [ 1 ]. Furthermore, Chili peppers have been found to be among the spices most subject to manipulation, substitutions, adulterations and/or contamination [ 2 ]. The aim of this research was to establish a link between varieties and chemical fingerprints of 10 Capsicum varieties, through an untargeted metabolomics approach based on comprehensive UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS fingerprinting combined with multivariate data analysis. The samples were classified based on classical taxonomy, considering morphological similarities such as: shape, color and dimension. UHPLC-HRMS fingerprinting combined with a chemometric approach, demonstrated strong predictive power, enabling clear differentiation of clusters within the investigated categories. The main compounds detected were: phenolic (glycosylated hydroxycinnamic acids), flavonoid glycosides (luteolin, quercetin, apigenin and naringenin derivatives), capsaicinoids and carotenoids. Capsaicinoids detected in the chili pepper samples were: capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin and nordihydrocapsaicin. Capasaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were quantified by UHPLC-UV. The highest amount of capsaicinoids was detected in samples: Carolina Reaper, Moruga, Bhut Jolokia and Naga chocolate. These findings are in accordance with the Scoville Scale. The specific color a pepper exhibits depends on the combination of carotenoids present in it. Capsanthin, capsorubin and cryptocapsin were detected in red chili pepper, while they were loss in yellow chili pepper. In the latter, the predominant carotenoids were lutein, β/α carotene and zeaxanthin. Funding The researches were performed within the framework of the Research Project PRIN PNRR – MISSIONE 4, COMPONENTE 2, INVESTIMENTO 1.1 – BANDO PRIN 2022 PNRR – DECRETO DIRETTORIALE N. 1409 DEL 14-09-2022: Fast, Reliable and Innovative analytical approaches for the END-to-end quaLity and safetY of spices and aromatic herbs – FRIENDLY, supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research, CODICE IDENTIFICATIVO: P2022CAJHW, CODICE CUP: D53D23016820001 Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany