Biochemical and technological evaluation of peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) for functional food products

Abstract Pepper is one of the main nightshade vegetables in open and protected ground. There are a large number of varieties and hybrids that differ in agrotechnological characteristics and biochemical composition of fruits (content of dry substances, sugars, vitamins and other biologically active substances). However, not all varieties are suitable for being processed into functional food products. The article considers the assortment of sweet and hot peppers for open ground in terms of yield, commercial qualities and biochemical composition of fruits: the content of dry substances, sugars, vitamin C. Comprehensive assessment of 8 varieties of sweet peppers and 5 varieties of hot peppers identified the varieties Spartak, Kvazar and Pleiades (sweet pepper) and varieties G-1713 and Debut (hot pepper), which have high yields, marketability, vitamin value and suitability for processing into functional products. In breeding work, varieties of sweet pepper are of interest for use as sources of the main economically valuable traits: by yield – Spartak, Pleiades; by weight of fruits – Kvazar; pericarp wall thickness – Spartak, Kvazar; by the content of sugars and dry substances – Spartak, Biktash; by the content of vitamin C – Spartak, Biktash, Kvazar, Pleiades; hot pepper varieties: by yield – G-1713; by weight of fruits – Debut, Kozerog, G-1713; by the content of dry matter and vitamin C – Kozerog, G-1713; by vitamin C content – Debut.