Project title: 

Capsaicin is one of the major constituent of the group of capsaicinoids which can be found only in the species of genus Capsicum, fam. Solananceae. Its characteristic chemical structure and the properties that capsaicin possess enforce its use in the field of pharmaceutical, food and agricultural chemistry. Capsacinoids are group of phenol amides from which capsaicin takes 69%, and the others capsaicinoids are represented with lower concentrations. Capsaicin,8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide,[(CH3)2CHCH=CH(CH2)4CONHCH2C6H3-4-(OH)-3-(OCH3)] is the active component of chili peppers. The pungent taste of the pepper is due to the presence of capsaicin in its fruits. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, crystalline to waxy compound.

Quantitative determination of capsaicin in different varieties of hot peppers raised in the region of Macedonia can serve as an indicator for the best raw material for extraction of capsacicin that can be used in many purposes.  The antioxidant property of capsaicin which should be examined in this project is only one of the wide pattern of pharmacological activities that capsaicin possess (analgesic, antidiabetic, antilipemic etc.).

Measurements for determination of the capasaicin content can be made by spectrophotometric or HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) method. Examination on the antioxidant capacity of capsaicin can be made by the means of different electrochemical techniques of voltammetry.

Knowing that pepper is one of the commonly raised culture in the Republic of Macedonia, determination of the antioxidant properties of capsaicin extracted from hot pepper will give even greater weight to this culture, because of its use in pharmaceutical purposes.Therefore main goal in this project is the extraction of capsaicinoids anddetermination of the content of capsaicin from several different varieties and populationsof hot peppers. Determination of the anti-oxidative properties of this very importantsecondary metabolite is also a project activity, which will determine and prove hisbiological potentials and its multiple effect as antimicrobial, antibacterial, analgesic,anesthetic, cytostatic, chemotherapy as a pharmacological agent.