Microwave-assisted extraction of capsaicinoids from capsicum fruit'

The applicability of microwave irradiation to assist the extraction of capsaicinoids from capsicum fruit was investigated. The procedure involved irradiation of 2 g samples in a closed-vessel followed by gas chromatography of capsaicinoid derivatives. The optimum conditions for extraction were determined to be acetone at 30% power for 7 min irrespective of ground or whole tissue. The yield of the compounds extracted was significantly greater (P < 0.05) using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) compared to traditional reflux and shaken flask methods. A single extraction step was efficient in recovering approximately 95% of the total capsaicinoid fraction in 15 min compared with 2 h for the reflux and 24 h for the shaken flask methods. Due to the considerable savings in time and energy as well as reliability, this technique is suitable for fast extraction of capsaicinoids from large samples.