Protein profiling of aged hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds subjected to priming and its relation to viability

Abstract

The present study was conducted to gain an insight into loss of seed vigour and viability particularly with respect to changes in protein profile. When hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds are stored beyond six months, they undergo deterioration which manifests as loss of vigour and viability. Seeds of hot pepper variety Punjab Sindhuri and hybrid CH-27 were subjected to ageing (natural, controlled and accelerated ageing) immediately after harvesting. At the end of ageing period, the seeds were primed in the solutions of Ascorbic acid (2%), PEG (30%), GA3 (50ppm) and KNO3 (1%) respectively for 12 hours. As the storage duration increased, germination percentage and the amount of total soluble proteins in the seeds decreased. The electrophoretic banding pattern of seed proteins showed a loss of some protein bands in seeds subjected to ageing and this deterioration was aggravated with an increase in storage (ageing) duration. Among the priming treatments, priming with KNO3 enhanced germination percentage and amount of total soluble proteins in the seed. The electrophoretic profile indicated restoration of some of the protein bands that were lost during ageing. Thus priming with KNO3 can be employed to reverse ageing effects to some extent.