Abstract: objectives: The mineral contents were determined in 6 species of hot pepper seeds grown in Xinjiang and a cluster analysis was conducted to evaluate their nutritional values. Methods: The contents of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na and K were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Results: These species of hot pepper seeds were all rich in several mineral elements with high ratios of K/Na and Mg/Na, and the most abundant element was Fe, while Zn and Cu demonstrated a relatively smaller content, with a Zn/Cu ratio of 2.01 to 1.36. The 6 species of hot pepper seed could be divided into two groups from the perspective of mineral elements. Conclusions: As an abundant source of mineral elements, the species of hot pepper seeds grown in Xinjiang deserve to be developed into foods.

Key words: hot pepper seed, mineral content, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), cluster analysis, food