Influence of sundrying on the chemical composition, aflatoxin content and fungal counts of two pepper varieties —Capsicum annum andCapsicum frutescens

Samples of sundried, matured red pepper,Capsicum annum with a moisture content (MC) of 12.7–26.8 percent had on dry weight basis, vitamin C, 5.0–6.4 mg/100 g; crude protein, 0.8–1.2 percent; total soluble solids, 3.3–4.1 percent, and fungal counts of log 4.4–4.5/g. Ordinary matured redC. annum had MC, 75.7–78.2 percent vitamin C, 36.1–38.5 mg/100 g; crude protein, 2.4–2.8 percent; total soluble solids, 9.3–9.9 percent and fungal count of log 3.32–3.39/g. Sundried matured redC. frutescens had corresponding values of 9.4–18.7 percent; 5.8–6.3 mg/100 g; 0.8–1.1 percent; 0.9–2.6 percent and log 3.2–3.4/g. No aflatoxins were detected in sundried, matured redC. frutescens, but aflatoxin B1 values obtained fromC. annum varied from non-detectable to 2.2 µg/kg. Dominant fungi isolated fromC. annum andC. frutescens wereRhizopus oryzaze,Aspergillus niger,A. flavus,Geotrichum candidum andSaccharomyces spp.