EFFECT OF DRYING METHOD ON PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF CAPSICUM ANUMM

Red pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is a popular and important spice and vegetable that is cultivated in the subtropical and tropical areas of the world (Mongkolporn O, 2011). It is used in salads, Chinese dishes and as a vegetable in Pakistan. Its flavor and aroma attracted researchers to explore its nutritional values. It is an herbaceous annual or biennial herb. Its life cycle is divided into four stages: seedling, vegetative growth, fruiting, and flowering. The Capsicum annum L. fruit is fleshy large, quadrangular, 7-16 cm in size and 6-11 cm long in width, and weight 100 to 500g. They can also be processed into commercial products such as puree, sauces, and powders. These are significant due to their high nutritional values, they contain bioactive phytochemicals e.g., carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, and other antioxidants (Anaya-Esparza LM, 2011). Capsicum annum L. is found in many colors (orange, yellow, red, and green) depending on its ripening phase and capacity to synthesize carotenoids or chlorophyll. Besides having an unusual flavor, they are an important source of vitamins (pro-vitamins A, E, and C) and they contain various bioactive compounds such as cartenoids and phenols, made them helpful for the health of consumers (European Commission 2015) (Nazeer S, Nwozo OS 2023). The Capsicum annum L. belongs to the family Solanaceae, subfamily Solanoicleae, tribe Solaneae (Anaya-Esparza LM, 2021) Out of more than 26 species of Capsicum annum L. only 5 species are cultivated by human. Nowadays, Capsicum annum L., grown in regions like China, India, Nigeria, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey, occupies high production of great economic importance (Reyes CR, 2020). The names of 5 commercially cultivated species are Capsicum annum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense,