Influence of sundrying on the chemical composition, aflatoxin content and fungal counts of two pepper varieties--Capsicum annum and Capsicum 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 red C. 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 red C. 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 red C. frutescens, but aflatoxin B1 values obtained from C. annum varied from non-detectable to 2.2 micrograms/kg. Dominant fungi isolated from C. annum and C. frutescens were Rhizopus oryzaze, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Geotrichum candidum and Saccharomyces spp.