Black pepper is widely used not onl

Black pepper is widely used not only for its characteristic pungency but also for its bioactive ability. The outer skin of black pepper is sometimes removed for use in light-coloured foods. The changes in the concentrations of bioactive compounds, flavours and minerals after removing the outer skin of black peppers were determined, and the advantages of skin removal were characterized. The total flavonoids, total phenols, and minerals were reduced, while the piperine, DPPH and ABTS were increased after removing the outer skin from black pepper. The peak areas of most of the volatile flavours were decreased, whereas the ratios of some flavours in the small peak area were increased.Therefore, using pepper without the outer skin is better than using black pepper in terms of bioactivity and pungency. It has higher antioxidant ability and a more delicate flavour. The total flavonoids and total phenols are not the primary compounds underlying the antioxidant ability in black pepper, but piperine is the key contributor.