Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: F017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F017
Published online: 22 April 2026
Decoding capsaicinoid signals with lorentzian curve fitting
Monika Wypych*1,2, Gabriela Machura1,2, Małgorzata Jakubowska3, Kamila Koszelska2 and Sylwia Smarzewska2
1 BioMedChem Doctoral School of the University of Lodz and Lodz Institutes of Polish Academy of Science, 21/23 Matejki St., 90-237 Lodz, Poland
2 Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Lodz, 163/165 Pomorska St., 90-236 Lodz, Poland
3 Department of Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, 30 Adama Mickiewicza St., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
* Corresponding author: monika.wypych@edu.uni.lodz.pl
Voltammetry is an effective analytical tool for testing food samples, distinguished by its high precision, speed and ease of use. This technique is used in the studies of a wide range of materials, including dietary supplements, vegetable oils, beverages, spices and plant-based products. One of its key applications is the determination of bioactive compound content in the analysed products. However, despite numerous advantages, voltammetric methods face some limitations, particularly when analysing compounds with similar chemical structures. If structural differences involve non-electroactive fragments, the resulting voltammetric signals overlap, leading to a single peak that contains information from multiple analytes. Consequently, their individual quantitative analysis becomes difficult or impossible. In such cases, chemometric methods are employed to deconvolve the overlapping signals.
The pungency of peppers is determined by the presence of capsaicinoids – compounds with documented biological properties, such as analgesic, antioxidant and potential anticancer effects. The most important examples of this group are capsaicin (CPS) and dihydrocapsaicin (DHC), which together account for approximately 90% of all capsaicinoids. Due to their high structural similarity, the electrochemical signals of these compounds appear at similar potential values, making it difficult to distinguish them using classical methods. Until now, studies have most often determined the total capsaicinoid content or ascribed the obtained signal solely to capsaicin. In this research, an alternative approach is proposed, utilizing chemometric methods to separate the overlapping signals of CPS and DHC. The application of Lorentzian function fitting to voltammograms enabled signal deconvolution and the quantitative determination of individual capsaicinoids in hot pepper samples.
The source of funding: BioMedChem Doctoral School of the University of Lodz and Lodz Institutes of Polish Academy of Science.
Keywords: capsaicin; chemometrics; dihydrocapsaicin; signal separation; voltammetry
How to cite
Wypych M., Machura G., Jakubowska M., Koszelska K., Smarzewska S., 2026. Decoding capsaicinoid signals with lorentzian curve fitting. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F017