Biochemical studies in Woody Pepper (Piper pendulispicum C.DC.): A spice with edible stem from Andaman Islands, India

A number of region-specific underutilized horticultural species have been found to contribute in the economy, ecology and well-being of the society.Woody Pepper (Piper pendulispicum C.DC.) is a unique genetic resource reported recently from Andaman group of Islands.The unique characteristic of this species is the presence of thick edible stems.In order to understand the biochemical parameters in this species, the present studies were carried out.Results revealed that total phenolic content (85.9-304.6 mg GAE/100 g) and oleoresin content (3.5-3.7%) in dehydrated powder varied with the thickness of the stems, i.e., thin (3-5 cm), medium (5-7 cm) and thick (7-9 cm).Phenolic acid profiling was carried out in the stems of two thicknesses (1.0-2.5 cm and 2.5-4.0 cm) using LC-MS/MS, which resulted into identification of 17 phenolic acid compounds, ferulic acid being the dominant one.Proximate analysis and sensory evaluation suggested the potential of this novel spice in the humid tropical regions.