Abstract
Szechuan peppers, famous for their unique sensation and flavor, are widely used as a food additive and traditional herbal medicine. Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Z. armatum are both commonly recognized as Szechuan peppers, but they have different tastes and effects. The chemical components, genetic characteristics, and suitable habitat of six cultivars were analyzed in this study. The results indicated that Z. armatum contained a larger proportion of volatile oil, whereas Z. bungeanum produced a more non-volatile ether extraction. The average content of volatile oil and non-volatile ether extract of Z. armatum were 11.84 and 11.63%, respectively, and the average content of volatile oil and non-volatile ether extract of Z. bungeanum were 6.46 and 14.23%, respectively. Combined with an internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence characters and chemical PCA results, six cultivars were classified into their own groups, for the two species in particular. The temperature in January and July were the most significant ecological factors influencing the contents of the Z. armatum volatile oil. However, annual precipitation, temperature in January and relevant humidity had a significant positive correlation with the content of non-volatile ether extract in Z. bungeanum. Thus, the most suitable areas for producing Z. bungeanum cultivars ranged from the Hengduan Mountains to the Ta-pa Mountains, and the regions suitable for Z. armatum cultivars were found to be in the Sichuan Basin and Dalou-Wu mountains. The predicted suitable habitat could be used as a preliminary test area for Szechuan pepper cultivar production.
Highlights
Szechuan peppers and their related species have been widely used in cooking and medical treatment in traditional Asian cultures, especially in China, where they have been used for centuries
A total of 47 batches of six excellent cultivars of Szechuan peppers that belong to either Z. armatum or Z. bungeanum cultivated plants were collected during the mature period in 2014
A comparison of volatile oil with non-volatile ether extract contents signified that the average content of the volatile oil of Z. armatum was higher than that of Z. bungeanum but was not same as the non-volatile ether extract of Z. armatum (Table 1)
Summary
Szechuan peppers and their related species have been widely used in cooking and medical treatment in traditional Asian cultures, especially in China, where they have been used for centuries. Characteristics of Szechuan Pepper Cultivars as “magical” and one of “eight essential condiments” in the kitchen because of their exceptional aroma and flavor, with a slightly numbing effect like that from carbonated drinks. The special flavor of Szechuan peppers is mainly closely related to their chemical compounds, such as their volatile oil, alkaloids, acid amide, coumarin, lignin, fatty acid, and the small amount of triterpene and sterols that they contain. Among these components, volatile oil, alkaloids and acid amide are the main sources of fragrance and numbing effect (Xue and Pu, 2013). Szechuan peppers play an important role in the Conversion of Cropland to Forestland Program and in the transition of the rural industrial structure due to their ability to conserve soil and water, generate income and improve the livelihoods of local farmers (Zhang et al, 2005)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
