Abstract
Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), as well as total phenol (TP), free phenol (FP), conjugated phenol (CP), and the vitamin C content of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. ‘Charlee’) infected with Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were determined via a novel automated antioxidant system using test kits. PMMoV was first identified in Turkey in 1994 in commercial pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. ‘Charlee’) fields and caused an outbreak in southern Turkey by 2006, especially in greenhouses. Infected plants were confirmed by ELISA using commercial kits for the virus. The infected plants had stunted growth; and leaves and fruits became mottled, puckered, malformed, deformed, and marked by off-colored sunken areas. Fruits expressing virus symptoms were utilized for biochemical analyses. The percent ratio of TOS to TAS was calculated as the oxidative stress index (OSI). The TAS level and the vitamin C content were found to be significantly lower in infected peppers as compared to healthy peppers. However, TOS, OSI, TP, FP, and CP levels were significantly higher in infected pepper fruits than in healthy ones. In this study, it has been demonstrated that low levels of TAS and high levels of TOS, as well as high OSI status, reflects the quality of peppers. Using this method, the quality of fruits and the condition of plants can be determined in advance of stress development.
Highlights
Sweet and hot peppers are one of the most important vegetable species in Turkey, as well as in other parts of the world
The oxidative, antioxidative, and phenolic content of the peppers infected with Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), as well as the control plants, are presented in Tab. 1
The Total antioxidant status (TAS) and Vitamin C levels of the control plants were 2.75 and 1.97 times higher, respectively, than those of infected plants. Biochemical responses such as total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and phenol levels generated under biotic stress conditions were 1.35, 3.72, and 1.20 times higher, respectively, than that generated under stress-free conditions
Summary
Sweet and hot peppers are one of the most important vegetable species in Turkey, as well as in other parts of the world. The main restricting factor in the yield of pepper quantity, as well as quality, is infection of virus diseases (Anandakumar et al, 2008). Several viruses are known to infect peppers, PMMoV has been severely damaging the fruits of peppers, in fields and in greenhouses, in recent years (Aycicek et al, 2006; Güldür and Çağlar, 2006). The virus can lead to a 75-95% loss in yield (Güldür and Çağlar, 2006). Symptoms of virus infection in pepper plants usually develops within 1-3 weeks of infection (Anandakumar et al, 2008). The status of TAS, TOS, and OSI, as well as the phenolic content of virus-infected peppers, reflects the condition and resistance of pepper plants. Infected and healthy (virus-free) plants were compared in order to evaluate the relationships between oxidative stress and fruit quality
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