An accurate yet rapid assessment of pungency and color values is pivotal for the commercial processing of pepper, underscoring the critical need for high-throughput detection techniques. This study investigates a rapid method for determining the pungency and color value of paprika via LED–induced fluorescence spectroscopy. A simultaneous detection instrument was developed with a proposed fluorescence correction method to reduce the impact of excitation light reflected by the sample. The corrected spectra could improve the performance of pungency prediction. The best pungency model achieved a R c 2 of 0.941, R cv 2 of 0.935, RMSEC of 6813.41 SHU and RMSECV of 6959.97 SHU. The best color value model achieved an R c 2 of 0.862, R cv 2 of 0.822 RMSEC of 1.233 and RMSECV of 1.402. This study offers a practical solution for simultaneous quality assessment suitable for industrial deployment, with the potential to extend this methodology to diverse cultivars.
Xinhui Chenpi (XHCP) is a well-known type of Chenpi (CP) widely used as both a Chinese herb and a food ingredient. While previous studies have explored how the quality of CP changes over time, there has been limited research specifically on XHCP. This study aims to assess the chemical components and quality of XHCP based on total flavonoid content (TF), antioxidant activity (AA), and color value (CV) at two stages: freshly harvested (XHCP-0Y) and after 3 years of storage (XHCP-3Y). Thirty-eight common volatile compounds were identified, and the content of 17 compounds among them, nine nonvolatile compounds, which included one alkaloid (synephrine), three phenolic acids (PA, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and ferulic acid), and five flavonoids (narirutin, hesperidin, sinensetin, nobiletin, and tangeretin), were firstly detected by the newly developed gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer (GC–MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) methods. Compared to XHCP-0Y, the content of 17 volatile compounds and synephrine decreased in XHCP-3Y to varying degrees, while the content of PA, five flavonoids, TF, AA, and CV increased. The reduction of dryness caused by volatile compounds and the enhancement of efficacy related to PA, flavonoids, and AA suggested improved quality of XHCP after 3 years of storage. The methods developed in this study show promise for evaluating the quality of XHCP during the aging process.
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）