Studies on the chemical and flavor qualities of white pepper (Piper nigrum L.) derived from five new genotypes

Here, we examine the chemical quality (total protein, total lipid, starch, piperine, and essential oil) and flavor quality of white pepper (Piper nigrum L.) derived from five new genotypes (Jianyin-1, Banyin-1, Banyin-2, Banyin-3, and Banyin-4). We employed headspace solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to analyze major volatiles, electronic nose (E-nose) to analyze volatiles of unknown nature, and sensory testing to assess flavor quality of white pepper derived from these five genotypes. The piperine and essential oil values were significantly higher in Jianyin-1 than in any of the other samples, and this was in accordance with the sensory evaluation results, which indicated that this sample also possesses the most intense pungency notes of all of the samples. The characterization of the chemical quality, volatile compounds, and volatile profiles of all five pepper cultivars showed a clear difference between Jianyin-1 and all of the other samples, perhaps indicative of its unique hybrid origin for the four latter genotypes. The E-nose pattern matching used to examine the volatiles of unknown nature of white pepper derived from all five genotypes further supported our sensory and instrumental data and suggested that Jianyin-1 is a promising and pungent pepper cultivar useful for cultivation for human consumption.