Pepper Oleoresin

#### Pepper Oleoresin. Various types of **Oleoresin**** ****Black**** ****Pepper**** **are obtained by extraction of the crushed, dried, not fully ripe fruit of **Piper Nigrum **(black pepper) with volatile solvents. The solvent may be a hydrocarbon (petroleum ether), or an oxygenated solvent, e.g. ethyl alcohol, ethyl ether, acetone. etc. These extractions are undertaken in modern installations in Europe and the U.S.A. from imported berries (particularly Malayan pepper). There are two major characteristics of the oleoresin in comparison with the essential oil: - the oleoresin contains two alkaloids, Piperine and its stereo-isomer **Chavicine**, which are responsible for the pungency of the spice. - the oleoresin does not contain caryophyllene. As are the cases with cloves and cubeb, it seems that caryophyllene is not present in the natural spice, but is formed during steam or water distillation of the crushed spice. The "light" pepper oil (see monograph on **Pepper**** ****Oil,**** ****Black**) contains little or no caryophyllene because it represents the low-boiling fractions of a total pepper oil. This is one of the reasons for the "naturalness" of the light oil. Pepper oleoresin is a prepared flavor material. It is usually a very dark green or almost brownish green heterogeneous mass; on standing it separates as a viscous, clear, dark green oil on top of a grainy, black-green, non-pourable mass. The oleoresin must be stirred thoroughly prior to use. Its odor very closely resembles that of the natural spice, and the flavor has not only the aroma, but also the pungency of the spice itself. Since pungency is a mouthfeel rather than a type of flavor, it is fairly easy to introduce pungency from a source other than black pepper in order to adulterate the latter with a cheaper raw material. Oleoresin of **Capsicum **(see this) is frequently used to increase pungency in black pepper oleoresin and thus to give impression of great strength. Capsicum is, however, almost completely without aroma, and any addition of this material will tend to decrease or impair the pepper aroma. Certain synthetic piperidine derivatives are also used in the adulteration of black pepper oleoresin, but such additions will be detected by the experienced analyst, using specto-photometric determination of the natural and normal concentration of pungent matter in the oleoresin. **Oleoresin Black Pepper **is used very extensively in food. Canned food, meat, sausages, salad dressings, pickles, etc. are flavored with the oleoresin which can be standardized according to its flavor performance and rate of pungency, and thus offers a uniform product that is superior to the natural spice in this respect. For food use, it should be kept in mind that the solvent used must be a non-hazardous one since traces of solvent are inevitably left in the oleoresin even after very careful evaporation under vacuum and subsequent "airing" of the extract. An **Ultrasonic**** **extract of black pepper is commercially available. Ultrasonic extracts are usually prepared with harmless solvents.