A new TLC method to detect the presence of ground papaya seed in ground black pepper

A simple TLC method to detect the adulteration of black pepper powder with ground papaya seed was developed. Ethylene dichloride extracts showed a fluorescent spot at 366 nm at Rf 0.943 that proved to be a promising marker for the presence of papaya seed powder in black pepper powder even at a level of 20 g kg−1. Partial purification by column chromatography followed by GC/MS analysis indicated that this fluorescent marker was a mixture of aldehydes such as n‐nonanal, 2‐decenal and trans‐2‐undecenal which were absent from black pepper.