An issue that needs to be addressed is how to harvest and process peppers in order to obtain the highest capsaicin extraction for use in non-food applications. This study was undertaken to investigate this issue using jalapeño peppers as the test material. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cultivar, fruit color, harvest sequence, and drying parameters (pod physical c...

Background and Objectives: Non-sanitary conditions during the drying, transport and storage stages in the production of spices could introduce mycotoxin contamination. The aim of the current study was to determine the concentration of ochratoxin A (OTA) in 92 commercial spices (including red pepper, black pepper, turmeric and cinnamon) imported to Iran. Materials and Methods: OTA levels were...

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of red pepper seeds powder on lipid metabolism in rats fed high fatᆞhigh cholesterol diet. Rats were divided into five experimental groups: normal diet group, high fatᆞhigh cholesterol diet group, high fatᆞhigh cholesterol diet with 5% red pepper seeds powder supplemented group (SA group), high fatᆞhigh cholesterol diet with 10% red p...

Diabetic rats in long-term display an augmented nociceptive response to chemical, mechanical, and thermal stimuli. Furthermore, hyperalgesia is one of the major symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in some patients. Considering the antidiabetic potential of pepper, this study was conducted to evaluate the possible analgesic effect of pepper-mixed food intake in male streptozotocin-induced diabetic r...

Introduction: Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is one of the medicinal plants being used to prevent and manage stroke in Persian Medicine. Current findings support its anti-inflammatory, radical scavenging and neuroprotective characteristics. In this study, we aimed to evaluate role of black pepper on functional and histopathological outcomes of stroke in an animal model of MCAO. Materials and Me...

SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP)-box genes encode plant-specific transcription factors that are extensively involved in many physiological and biochemical processes, including growth, development, and signal transduction. However, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) SBP-box family genes have not been well characterized. We investigated SBP-box family genes in the pepper genome and characterized ...