Evaluation of Capsaicinoids Extracts as Bioactive Substance for Antimicrobial Films

Capsaicinoid, a naturally occurring alkaloid group and active components which can be found in chili peppers variety (Capsicum spp.), contributes to the pungency, taste, and aroma of chili peppers. Apart from their culinary and medicinal properties, capsaicinoid functions as antioxidant agent in food preservation. In the current research, the evaluation of bio-active substance of capsaicinoid was carried out to determine its potential in development of antimicrobial film for packaging. A mixture of acetone: petroleum ether (1:1) had been used in extracting the capsaicinoids and carotenoids (natural red pigment).The four types of chili pepper studied were Green Malagueta Salvador, Red Malagueta Salvador, red Thai Capsicum Frutescens and red Cayenne. The optimum capsaicinoids extraction time and amount of carotenoids (color intensity) for each variety of chili peppers were studied. Lastly, antimicrobial properties of AM films were determined as they inhibited both gram-positive (Streptococcus and B. subtilis) and gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria successfully through agar diffusion test and liquid culture test.