Comparison of the Phenolic Composition of Piper nigrum L. and Piper cubeba L. Accessions Collected in the Ivorian Orchard

Abstract

Piper nigrum L. and Piper cubeba L. are aromatic pepper species recognised for their phytochemical diversity. This study compared the phenolic composition of six pepper accessions collected in Côte d’Ivoire, including two P. nigrum cultivars, Lompung (LG) and Muntok (MK), and four P. cubeba accessions, AC1, AC2, AB, and BH. Dried berry powders were extracted using 80% methanol, and the contents of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, anthocyanins, flavonoid aglycones, hydrolyzable tannins, and condensed tannins were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The results showed significant variation among species and accessions. Total polyphenol contents ranged from 35.656 to 89.082 µg GAE/g of extract, with the highest value recorded in MK. Total flavonoid contents ranged from 26.588 to 62.946 µg/g of extract, with the highest value observed in the AB accession. Flavonoid aglycones were most abundant in LG, with 0.411 mg/g of extract, while anthocyanin contents were highest in LG and BH. Hydrolyzable tannins and condensed tannins also varied among accessions, with comparatively high values observed in several P. cubeba accessions and in MK. These findings indicate that phenolic composition differs according to species and accession, suggesting that both P. nigrum and P. cubeba accessions may represent useful sources of phenolic compounds.