Characterization of major and minor capsaicinoids and related compounds in chili pods (Capsicum frutescens L.) by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Capsaicinoids were extracted from fresh chili pods (Capsicum frutescens L.) and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Among the 23 compounds detected, 3 major and 12 minor capsaicinoids belonging to the ‘capsaicin’, ‘dihydrocapsaicin’ and ‘N-vanillyl-n-acylamide group’, respectively, were characterized by their specific fragmentation pattern in collision-induced dissociation experiments. Additionally, with the exception of ω-hydroxycapsaicin, several closely related compounds were tentatively identified as alkyl dehydrogenated and -hydroxylated derivatives, respectively, for the first time in Capsicum fruits.