Foi avaliada a atividade antioxidante pelo Sistema β-caroteno/Ácido Linoleico, ensaio do radical DPPH• (2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazila), do extrato bruto (EB) e frações hexânica (FH), clorofórmica (FC) e acetato de etila (FA) das pimentas malagueta (C. frutescens), cambuci (C. baccatum var. pendulum), cumari (C. baccatum var praetermissum) e pimentão magali (C. annuum var. annuum). As concentrações de capsaicinoides e de fenólicos totais presentes nas pimentas também foram determinadas. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que as FC e FA das pimentas apresentaram maior concentração de fenólicos totais e capsaicinoides, sendo que a pimenta cumari foi a espécie com maior concentração destes compostos. A melhor atividade antioxidante pelo Sistema β-caroteno/Ácido Linoleico, foi obtida para o EB e FA da pimenta cambuci, seguida do EB da pimenta malagueta. Pelo método DPPH a FC e FA apresentaram menores valores de EC50, sendo a pimenta cumari e cambuci as mais efetivas. Estes resultados demonstram que as pimentas cumari, cambuci e malagueta podem ser utilizadas como agentes antioxidantes naturais em alimentos.

The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the β-Carotene/Linoleic Acid System, DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical assay, to the crude extract (EB) and fractions hexanic (FH), chloroformic (FC), and ethyl acetate (FA) of malagueta peppers (C. frutescens), cambuci (C. baccatum var. pendulum), cumari (C. baccatum var praetermissum), and pepper magali (C. annuum var. annuum). The concentration of total phenolics and capsacinoids present in the peppers was also determined. The results showed that the FC and the FA peppers showed higher concentrations of total phenolics and capsacinoids, and that the cumari pepper was the species with higher concentrations of these compounds. The best antioxidant activity according to the β-Carotene/Linoléico Acid System were obtained for the EB and the FA cambuci pepper, followed by the EB malagueta pepper. According to the DPPH method, the FC and FA showed lower values of EC50, and the cumari and cambuci peppers were the most effective. The results show that cumari, cambuci, and malagueta peppers can be used as natural antioxidant agents in food.