Capsicum Fruits Research Articles

Studies on Packaging and Storage of Green Capsicum (Cv. Indra) at Different Storage Conditions

The effect of different packaging materials along with two storage conditions i.e. Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) and Cold Storage (CS) were assessed for maintaining quality attributes and extending shelf life of green capsicum. The qualities of capsicums were assessed by physiological loss in weight, firmness, rotting, ascorbic acid and moisture content. The green capsicum fruits in all the treatments showed increasing trends of physiological loss in weight (%), TSS (°B) and rotting (%) while in moisture content, ascorbic acid (mg 100-1 g) and firmness (N) showed decreasing trend during the advancement of storage period in ZECC and CS. The quality of capsicum fruits of green varieties under CS and ZECC were found to be best when packed in cellulose acetate (CA) film followed by breathing bags. The shelf life of green capsicum fruits was extended up to 40 days in CS, 24 days in ZECC when packed in CA film followed by breathing bags and was found to be beneficial in extending the shelf life of capsicum fruits. The green capsicum packed in CA films was found to be best packaging material for extending the shelf life followed by breathing bags and without vent polythene bags of 100 micron, 50 micron and 25 micron, in CS and ZECC storage in respect of quality parameters.

Cinnamon and paprika oleoresin emulsions: A study of physicochemical stability and antioxidant synergism

Cinnamon and paprika oleoresins (CPO) are by-products of the spice Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume and the fruit Capsicum annuum L., respectively. They present a hydrophobic nature and various active compounds that can act synergistically. However, they are both susceptible to degradation by light, oxygen, and temperature. This work aimed at identifying the synergistic effect of these oleoresin mixtures, incorporating them into emulsions and characterizing the obtained systems. The CPO concentration was 10%, and whey protein isolate (WPI), gum Arabic (GA), or maltodextrin (MD) were used as wall materials in different proportions, totalizing 30% solids. The synergistic effect was observed in the FRAP assay at a 1:1 CPO ratio, with its expected value being significantly higher than the values for individual oleoresins (p < 0.05). Emulsions containing GA were unstable, while the emulsions containing MD and WPI showed reduced droplet size and viscosity, remaining stable for 7 days. The sample with a 1:3 proportion of MD:WPI as wall material showed higher FRAP and ORAC antioxidant values (24.74 ± 0.83 and 28.77 ± 1.23 mmol TE/g of oleoresin, respectively) and 4.18 mg total carotenoids/g sample. These results suggest the emulsions have a protective effect on active compounds content and can be used as efficient delivery systems for food product applications.

Development and characterisation of a pectin-based edible film that contains mulberry leaf extract and its bio-active components

Water extraction of crude mulberry leaf extract and two bio-active molecules from it, i.e. deoxynojirimycin and chlorogenic acid, were used for development of pectin-based antioxidative and antimicrobial edible films for food packaging and coating applications. The developed pectin-based films blended with bioactive compounds showed improved antioxidative, antimicrobial activities and better mechanical properties. FT-IR was used to investigate the intermolecular interactions and structural changes in the films. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the surface morphology, homogeneity and miscibility of the developed films. The thermal stability of the films was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The eco-friendly nature of the developed films was demonstrated by water solubility and soil degradation properties. The pectin-based formulations was used for coating capsicum fruit to extend shelf life. The crude leaf extract and deoxynojirimycin treated fruit showed increased shelf life of up to 12 days as compared to 6 days in control fruit. The overall findings of the study suggests that the developed eco-friendly edible films can be used as a promising natural alternative food packaging/coating material to extend shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

An Ontology-Driven Personalized Faceted Search for Exploring Knowledge Bases of Capsicum

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the Solanaceae family in which the members are well known to have a high economic value. The Capsicum fruits, which are popularly known as peppers or chili, have been widely used by people worldwide. It serves as a spice and raw material for many products such as sauce, food coloring, and medicine. For many years, scientists have studied this plant to optimize its production. A tremendous amount of knowledge has been obtained and shared, as reflected in multiple knowledge-based systems, databases, or information systems. An approach to knowledge-sharing is through the adoption of a common ontology to eliminate knowledge understanding discrepancy. Unfortunately, most of the knowledge-sharing solutions are intended for scientists who are familiar with the subject. On the other hand, there are groups of potential users that could benefit from such systems but have minimal knowledge of the subject. For these non-expert users, finding relevant information from a less familiar knowledge base would be daunting. More than that, users have various degrees of understanding of the available content in the knowledge base. This understanding discrepancy raises a personalization problem. In this paper, we introduce a solution to overcome this challenge. First, we developed an ontology to facilitate knowledge-sharing about Capsicum to non-expert users. Second, we developed a personalized faceted search algorithm that provides multiple structured ways to explore the knowledge base. The algorithm addresses the personalization problem by identifying the degree of understanding about the subject from each user. In this way, non-expert users could explore a knowledge base of Capsicum efficiently. Our solution characterized users into four groups. As a result, our faceted search algorithm defines four types of matching mechanisms, including three ranking mechanisms as the core of our solution. In order to evaluate the proposed method, we measured the predictability degree of produced list of facets. Our findings indicated that the proposed matching mechanisms could tolerate various query types, and a high degree of predictability can be achieved by combining multiple ranking mechanisms. Furthermore, it demonstrates that our approach has a high potential contribution to biodiversity science in general, where many knowledge-based systems have been developed with limited access to users outside of the domain.

Host Preference of Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) Among Fruits of Solanaceous Plants.

Simple SummaryBactrocera latifrons (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the major pest in economic chili and eggplant of Thailand. Although B. latifrons has many host plant species, it does not unequally prefer each host plant. Results of this study indicated that among seven host plant species of family Solanaceae, Capsicum fruits were preferred by B. latifrons for oviposition over Solanum fruits. Bird chili and banana pepper were the most preferred hosts for B. latifrons. Turkey berry was least preferred by B. latifrons. Results of this study develop knowledge of the specific mechanisms by which host fruit varieties, host fruit species and physiological changes during ripening of host fruit influence B. latifrons’ preference. This is of potential value in field management, quarantine and plant breeding using traditional or transgenic approaches.Host preference of Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), major chili and nightshade pest, was studied using seven host plant species of family Solanaceae. Two nightshade species, eggplant, Solanum melongena L. and turkey berry, Solanum torvum Sw.; three pepper and one large chili cultivar of Capsicum annum L., banana pepper, cayenne pepper, noom pepper and duey kai chili; and one small chili cultivar of Capsicum frutescens L., bird chili, were used as tested host plants of B. latifrons for a series of choice test and no-choice test under the laboratory. Results revealed that B. latifrons preferred Capsicum fruits for oviposition rather than Solanum fruits. Bird chili and banana pepper were the most preferred host for B. latifrons, with the highest number of pupae per gram of fruit in no-choice and choice experiment, respectively. Although the best larval performance parameters of B. latifrons were better for eggplant than for other Solanaceous plants, fruit characteristics and total phenolic content in fruit play a major role for host preference of B. latifrons. Turkey berry was least preferred by B. latifrons, with the lowest number of pupae per fruit and it was not oviposited by B. latifrons female fly under the choice situation at all stages of ripeness.

ICP-MS based analysis of mineral elements composition during fruit development in Capsicum germplasm

Capsicum fruits are rich sources of mineral nutrients with several health benefits. However, a thorough investigation of mineral elements in Capsicum fruits at green, breaker and mature developmental stages in comparatively larger germplasm has not been reported yet. This study reports profiling of 9 mineral elements i.e. Mg, P, K, Ca, B, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in 20 Capsicum accessions belonging to Capsicum annuum, C. chinense and C. frutescens from Northeast India. Briefly, the highest content of P (1798 ± 39) and K (7560 ± 76 mg 100g−1) at the green and breaker stages of Capsicum accession Acc-Ca9, Fe (13 ± 2) and Zn (4 ± 0.1) at the breaker stage of Acc-Ca2; and Cu at the mature stage of Acc-Cc2 (3 ± 0.4) and Acc-Cc3 (3.4 ± 0.04 mg 100g−1) were observed and showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between the developmental stages. Overall, with fruit maturation, the K content increased in C. frutescens while K and P content decreased in C. chinense and C. annuum. Statistical analysis showed significant correlations (p < 0.01) among mineral elements in the three fruit development stages. The data from this study suggests that accessions having high mineral content can be used as rich sources of dietary mineral nutrients and potential donors for biofortification of Capsicum crops.

Chitosan and putrescine modulate reactive oxygen species metabolism and physiological responses during chili fruit ripening

We investigated the combined effect of chitosan (CHT) and putrescine (PUT) on the postharvest shelf life of Capsicum fruit concerning the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through direct and indirect effects on ripening characters cell wall hydrolyzing enzyme and ROS metabolism. The PUT and CHT directly affected quality indices like color, firmness and water loss with a concomitant oxidative bust in the development of O2•− and H2O2 in fruit pulp. This was accompanied by significant suppression of respiratory flux, a decrease of total soluble solids and ascorbic acid content throughout postharvest storage. PUT applied with CHT modified the oxidative metabolism of fruits by a significant reduction in the level of O2•− and H2O2 content. In addition, a significant accumulation of total polyamine under respective treatment was reasonably correlated with both ROS producing enzyme as well as H2O2 and O2•−. Wall hydrolyzing enzymes like pectin methyl esterase and cellulase had marked downregulation both under PUT and CHT + PUT treatment. Moreover, on close observation, the combinational effects of PUT and CHT had better effects in the regulation of those enzymes as compared to individual treatment. Fruits restore higher antioxidative capacities as evident with superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidases (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), NADPH oxidase (NOX) and glutathione reductase (GR), indicating their roles on fruit coat softening. Finally, the treatment of PUT and CHT in combination increased shelf life vis-à-vis the quality of fruit.

Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum species causing anthracnose of Capsicum in Asia

AbstractAnthracnose of chili is caused by a complex of Colletotrichum species, with recent surveys reporting at least 28 different species implicated. However, there have been very few studies to identify the relative pathogenicity of the various species or to optimize a bioassay to assess pathogenicity. A detached Capsicum fruit bioassay to determine the pathogenicity of a diverse geographical range of isolates of Colletotrichum scovillei showed fruit maturity, host genotype, and inoculation method all interact to affect infection and rate of lesion development. On Capsicum annuum ‘Bangchang’ fruit wounded prior to inoculation, pathogenicity was consistent regardless of fruit maturity. In contrast, without wounding there was variability in pathogenicity. On the relatively resistant host Capsicum chinense PBC932, pathogenicity was dependent on both the inoculation method and the maturity stage of the fruit. In addition, lack of correlation in pathogenicity of isolates between the two Capsicum lines indicated that there was host–isolate specialization that would make prediction of pathogenicity of isolates on host difficult. In a further study, 10 species of Colletotrichum isolated from diseased chili fruits in Asia caused anthracnose symptoms on C. annuum ‘Bangchang’ under all testing conditions, with large differences in aggressiveness. C. chinense PBC932 was generally more resistant to all the species, with smaller lesions produced in different host conditions. Colletotrichum javanense and C. scovillei were highly aggressive relative to other species, especially when inoculated on nonwounded fruit. Pathotype differences were identified within multiple isolates of C. scovillei and C. siamense, the two most frequently identified pathogenic species on chili.

Qingke β-glucan synergizes with a β-glucan-utilizing Lactobacillus strain to relieve capsaicin-induced gastrointestinal injury in mice

Capsaicin (CAP) is the main pungent component in capsicum fruits. Eating too much CAP leads to gastrointestinal injury. Previously, Qingke β-glucan combined with β-glucan-utilizing Lactobacillus plantarum S58 (LP.S58) ameliorated high fat-diet-induced obesity, but their effects on CAP-induced gastrointestinal injury have not been investigated. Our results showed that Qingke β-glucan reduced the CAP-induced gastrointestinal injury in Kunming mice. The serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and gastrointestinal hormones, and the localized inflammation and the expression of EGF, EGFR, VEGF, and ZO-1 in the gastrointestinal tissues in CAP-treated mice were partly restored by Qingke β-glucan. The CAP-induced increase in the abundances of proinflammatory intestinal bacteria was also reduced by Qingke β-glucan. More importantly, we found that these beneficial effects of Qingke β-glucan were markedly enhanced by β-glucan-utilizing LP.S58 supplementation. Our study indicated that Qingke β-glucan coupled with β-glucan-utilizing LP.S58 relieved CAP-induced gastrointestinal injury.

Health Beneficial Effect of Capsanthin on Human Being Health: Medicinal Importance and Therapeutic Benefit in the Medicine

Background: Medicinal plant based drugs have been used in the history for the treatment of numerous human health complications including various complicated disorders. Different part of the plants have been used for the treatment of different disease as all the parts of plants contain different active phytochemical called phytoconstituents mainly responsible for their main biological potential. Objective: Health beneficial properties of capsanthin in the medicine and other allied health sectors have been searched in the present investigation through scientific data analysis of various scientific research works. Methods: Capsanthin pigment has been found to be present in almost all type of capsicum fruits. Present investigation contains the biological potential and therapeutic benefit of capsanthin in the medicine. Numerous scientific databases have been searched and collected the scientific information of capsanthin against various form of human cancers. Molecular data have been also collected from various literature sources to know the molecular mechanism. Results: Scientific data analysis of various literature databases reveale the biological importance of capsanthin in the medicine as it is the main active phytochemical of capsicum used in the daily diet due to its health beneficial aspect.

Modified atmosphere packaging of capsicum for extending shelf life under coolbot condition

Capsicum is one of the high value vegetable crops in Nepal. Its demand in kitchen is increasing due to urbanization and increased awareness on its health benefit. Its commercial cultivation has been started in protected as well as open field conditions. It fetches higher price in market but has very short storage life under ordinary storage condition. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on extension of shelf-life of capsicum fruit. Fruit were harvested at full mature stage with smooth and shiny appearance from farmer's field grown under protected condition at Chitwan, Nepal. The fruits were brought to postharvest laboratory of National Horticulture Research Centre, pre-cooled for 3-4 hours, cleaned with muslin cloth and packed in 25 micron Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) packaging with different number of pinhole sized perforations viz. without pinholes, eight pinholes, sixteen pinholes, twenty four pinholes and control (without MAP). The study was conducted in completely randomized block design with five treatments and four replications. Fruits were kept at coolbot storage (9.8+2 ºC, 86+5% RH) till 30 days and analyzed for various postharvest physical, chemical and physiological parameters at every 10, 20 and 30 days of storage. The result showed that LDPE packaging influenced on reduction of physiological loss in weight (PLW), spoilage loss, ascorbic acid content, TA, freshness, firmness and shelf life. The modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) without pinholes showed the minimum PWL (1.71%) and the optimum fruit freshness (4.76) but the spoilage loss was the maximum (14%). Among the packaging, MAP with 8 pinholes maintained majority of postharvest quality retention with reduced physiological loss in weight (4.15 %), freshness (4.5) and spoilage loss (2%).

Development and characterization of capsaicin creams formulated with Grewia mucilage-HPMC base

Purpose: Conventional topical capsaicin creams are often unavailable and unaffordable to the larger patient populations in developing countries. There is a need to formulate cost-effective alternatives using locally available polymers as cream base. This study aimed to formulate oil-in-water Grewia mollis mucilage-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (GMM-HPMC) based capsaicin creams from locally available capsicum fruits and evaluate their quality attributes. Methods: Capsaicin was quantified from acetone extracts of Capsicum fruits (C. frutescens, C. pubescens and C. chinense) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Extract of C. chinense which had higher capsaicin content was used to formulate six different cream types with varied concentrations of GMM and/or HPMC as polymeric base. The creams were assessed for their organoleptic properties, pH, specific gravity, conductivity, viscosity, spreadability, oil globule size, microbial load and stability profiles using standard methods and protocols. Results: The FTIR spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of capsaicin in all the Capsicum fruit extracts; HPLC quantification of each of the fruit extracts indicated the presence of both capsaicin; C. chinense: (36153 ppm) &gt; C. frutescens: (7860 ppm) &gt; C. pubescens: (4549 ppm) and dihydrocapsaicin; C. chinense (11044 ppm) &gt; C. frutescens (6920 ppm) &gt; C. pubescens (2828 ppm) as constituents. Formulated o/w creams were light to deep brick red in colour, with pH (6.11-6.44); specific gravity (1.00-1.03); electrical conductivity (292-1958 µS/cm); viscosity (2810-9190 mPas); spreadability (4.0-5.5 cm) and globule size (13 ± 8 µm to 91 ± 20 µm). The creams had satisfactory microbial load profiles and remained stable at 25 ± 2 °C but had varying degrees of stability at 40 ± 2 °C storage temperatures. The optimized formulations of the creams (FB, FE and FF) contained GMM as the mono polymeric, GMM10:HPMC10 and GMM15:HPMC10 as their co-polymeric base systems, respectively. Conclusion: This study has shown the suitability of Grewia mollis mucilage singly used or in combination with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as co-polymeric cream base. Formulated creams had desirable physicochemical properties and they may find better patient acceptance when compared with imported brands as a result of their potential low cost. Keywords: Capsicum fruits, capsaicin, Grewia mollis mucilage-HPMC, creams

Effects of Perforation Mediated-modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) on Shelf Life and Quality of Calcium Chloride Treated Bell Pepper (Capsicum annum)

Background: Capsicums having high respiration, transpiration, and ethylene production rates along with high susceptibility to microbial growth deteriorate rapidly during storage leading to higher loss. The current study was conducted to assess the effects of Perforation mediated- modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) on shelf life and quality of calcium chloride treated bell pepper (Capsicum annum). Methods: For this purposed green mature fruits capsicum annum variety Indra were pretreated with calcium chloride, weighed 1kg and packed in Low-density polyethylene with no perforation (T1), LDPE with 4 perforations(T2), LDPE with 8 perforations(T3), LDPE with 12 perforations(T4), LDPE with 16 perforation(T5) and open tray (T6) and stored at ambient room temperature of laboratory. Three replications were maintained for each treatment with CRD Design and different parameters were evaluated during the study period. Result: Capsicum stored in perforated LDPE packet exhibited less weight loss, higher shelf life and higher vitamin C content compared to capsicum kept in an open tray. With less perforations weight loss was less. Moreover, LDPE with 16 perforations can be considered the best treatment because with higher numbers of pores it exhibited comparatively higher shelf life, optimum quality of fruits and also check the spoilage of the fruits as compared to all treatments.

Patterns and compound specific stable carbon isotope analysis (δ13 C) of capsaicinoids in Cayenne chilli fruits of different ripening stages.

Capsaicinoids are alkaloids of high pungency which are exclusively formed by fruits of the genus Capsicum. Capsaicinoid content and composition of Capsicum fruits are influenced by ripening. Determination of changes in content and pattern of individual capsaicinoids in chilli pods with fruit ripening. Compound specific stable carbon isotope analysis (δ13 C values (‰), CSIA) was used for a better understanding of capsaicinoid development during fruit ripening. Cayenne chillies (Capsicum annuum) were grown in a glasshouse and harvested from different plants at four ripening stages (unripe, semi-ripe, ripe, overripe). Nine capsaicinoids (one verified by synthesis) were quantified by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For CSIA, an acetylation method for derivatising capsaicinoids was developed. Variations in the patterns of the nine capsaicinoids were not relatable to a distinct ripening stage and also total contents varied extensively from plant to plant. However, changes in total capsaicinoid concentrations were systematic. In almost all plants, maximum values were reached in unripe fruits, then decreased to semi-ripe samples and increased again in the following ripening process. Likewise, δ13 C values of individual capsaicinoids were always by ~2‰ heavier in unripe than in semi-ripe or ripe fruits. However, direction of changes in sum-δ13 C values (‰) (taking contributions of all capsaicinoids together) could not be explained by corresponding variations in capsaicinoid concentrations. Both quantification and δ13 C values (‰) verified the presence of ripening-related changes in the capsaicinoid content which may be caused by simultaneously proceeding reactions like synthesis, storage and degradation of capsaicinoids.

Iron homeostasis regulates maturation of tomato (climacteric) and capsicum (non-climacteric) fruits

Endogenous iron quickly interchanges its oxidation states (Fe III and Fe II), which modulate production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and also serve as co-factor for various enzymes. A sharp increase in Fe(III) content in mature fruits of tomato (climacteric) is a unique observation from the present work. Iron homeostasis in non-climacteric capsicum fruits, however, accompanies a balancing of Fe(III) and Fe(II) levels during turning and ripe stages. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which mobilizes toxic heme and produces Fe(II), apparently regulates iron homeostasis in tomato. Nearly static HO-1 activity in capsicum indicates that HO-1 probably does not have a major role in iron homeostasis in non-climacteric fruit maturation. Endogenous NO content is much higher during tomato fruit maturation than in capsicum. ROS production is highest in green (unripe) tomato and capsicum fruits and it sharply declines with fruit maturation. Tomato fruits exhibit very high β-cyanoalanine synthase (β-CAS) activity in turning stage and mature fruits, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining a static level of cyanide (CN) generated as a byproduct of ethylene biosynthesis during fruit maturation. In contrast, β-CAS activity is very low in maturing capsicum fruits. Thus, a coordination between iron signal and, NO and ROS accumulation in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits is apparently perceived by hormonal (ethylene) signals getting altered differentially during fruit ripening.

Susceptibility of Hide Beetle, Dermestes maculatus (De Geer) [Coleoptera: Dermestidae] to Powder and Extract of Two Species of Capsicum Fruits on Smoke-Dried Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) [Pisces: Clariidae

Meat consumption is expensive and highly blood pressure prone amongst elderly Nigerians. In lieu of this, smoke-dried catfish consumption becomes a better alternative in reducing cholesterols that cause high blood pressure amongst elders. However, the nutritional values and health benefits of smoke-dried catfish have greatly reduced during postharvest due to hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus infestation. Susceptibility of hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus to Capsicum annum, and Capsicum frutescens fruits onsmoke-dried catfish, claria gariepinns were investigated in the laboratory at mean temperature and relative humidity of 29.6oC and 76.8%, respectively. Capsicum fruits powders were admixed at 2g, 4g, 6g, 8g, and 10g/50g of smoke-dried catfish while extracts were tested at concentrations 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% for mortality, adult emergence, progeny inhibition, and weight loss effects. Capsicum frutescens powder was more toxic to D. maculatus larvae. It achieved 100% larvae mortality throughout the period of exposure at dose 10.0g. Capsicum frutescens was also found to be more toxic than C. annum to D. maculatus adult that caused 82.50% mortality at concentration 10.0 g within 24 h of application and were significantly different (P < 0.05) from all other treatments within the same period. The two plant powders were able to prevent adult emergence except for the powder of C. annum which recorded 32.50% adult emergence at concentration 2.0 g and was significantly different (P<0.05) from other treatments. A similar trend of results was observed on the toxicity of fruits extracts to D. maculatus larvae and adults. Capsicum frutescens was more lethal to D. maculatus larvae. The plant materials significantly reduced adult emergence and weight loss when compared with the control experiment. Capsicum annum and C. frutescens offered an effective protection against infestation and damage cause by D. maculatus on smoke-dried fish.

Biological Properties, Bioactive Constituents, and Pharmacokinetics of Some Capsicum spp. and Capsaicinoids.

Pepper originated from the Capsicum genus, which is recognized as one of the most predominant and globally distributed genera of the Solanaceae family. It is a diverse genus, consisting of more than 31 different species including five domesticated species, Capsicum baccatum, C. annuum, C. pubescen, C. frutescens, and C. chinense. Pepper is the most widely used spice in the world and is highly valued due to its pungency and unique flavor. Pepper is a good source of provitamin A; vitamins E and C; carotenoids; and phenolic compounds such as capsaicinoids, luteolin, and quercetin. All of these compounds are associated with their antioxidant as well as other biological activities. Interestingly, Capsicum fruits have been used as food additives in the treatment of toothache, parasitic infections, coughs, wound healing, sore throat, and rheumatism. Moreover, it possesses antimicrobial, antiseptic, anticancer, counterirritant, appetite stimulator, antioxidant, and immunomodulator activities. Capsaicin and Capsicum creams are accessible in numerous ways and have been utilized in HIV-linked neuropathy and intractable pain.

Effect of lime and organic manures on yield and quality of tomato and capsicum grown under protected condition in the mid-hills of Meghalaya

Among the vegetable crops, tomato and capsicum are themajor crops grown under protected cultivation. Due to highrainfall, the soil of north eastern region of India is acidic innature and deficient in essential nutrients such as calciumand magnesium by leaching and phosphorous by fixation.Therefore, productivity and quality of the produce is verypoor. The mild weather of the north eastern region providesa better option for year-round production of these cropsunder protected conditions to get the good market pricewith higher yield and superior quality. With this background,a field experiment was conducted for consecutive two years(2011-2013) to study the effect of lime and organic manureswith fertilizers on growth, yield and quality attributes intomato and capsicum grown under low cost polyhouse withthe objective to develop the suitable integrated nutrientmanagement package for tomato - capsicum croppingsequence under protected condition. The highest yield andgood quality fruits of tomato (72.6 t/ha) and capsicum (45.80t/ha) was recorded with the application of NPK (60:60:60 kg/ha) + vermicompost (5 t/ha) + lime (2.5 q/ha) in tomato and60:60:60 (kg/ha) NPK + vermicompost (5 t/ha) in capsicum.However, from economic analysis of cropping sequence,the highest net income (¹ 13, 91,871 / ha), and BC ratio (2.7)was recorded from the treatment comprises of NPK (60:60:60kg/ha) + vermicompost (5t/ha) + lime followed by NPK(60:60:60 kg/ha) + pig manure (10t/ha) + lime. Hence,application of lime and vermicompost with fertilizers couldbe a suitable INM practices to get the maximum output interms of yield and quality.

Transcriptome profiling, simple sequence repeat markers development and genetic diversity analysis of potential industrial crops Capsicum chinense and C. frutescens of Northeast India

Capsaicinoids, a group of secondary metabolites (alkaloids) which imparts hot property, are unique to the Capsicum fruits and have high value in the pharmaceutical and food industries. In spite of having high capsaicinoids content with ethnopharmacological and economic importance, the C. chinense and C. frutescens of the Northeast India, are underexplored for the genetics and breeding programs. In this study, we developed transcriptome-based Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and analyzed the expression(s) of capsaicinoids and carotenoid biosynthesis pathway genes in flower and fruit tissues at three developmental stages (early, breaker and mature) of C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. annuum. A total of 4988 and 4781 genic SSRs were identified from 123,118 and 121,017 de novo assembled unigenes, in C. chinense and C. frutescens, respectively. Also, the reference-based transcriptome analysis identified 70.8–73.6 % commonly expressed transcripts in all tissues besides 2929, 1327, 1193 and 937 unique transcripts in flower, early, breaker and mature fruits, respectively. The gene expression profiling showed significantly high expression of the key capsaicinoids and carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes at breaker and mature fruit stages. Furthermore, in silico analysis identified a total of 335 polymorphic SSRs between C. chinense and C. frutescens with allelic size difference of >4 bases. The trinucleotide repeats was found to be predominant in both C. chinense (50.6 %) and C. frutescens (52.2 %). High genetic-diversity of SSRs was observed with mean gene diversity of 0.51 and polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.53. Based on twenty polymorphic SSRs, the UPGMA cluster analysis differentiated 96 genotypes belonging to C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. annuum into distinct groups. The identified SSRs and diverse Capsicum genotypes will serve as important genetic resources for future applications in genetics study and breeding of Capsicum varieties with improved metabolites (pungency, carotenoids etc.) and agronomic traits (fruit shape, size etc.) for agricultural, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Single-base cytosine methylation analysis in fruits of three Capsicum species

Single-base cytosine methylation analysis across fruits of Capsicum annuum, C. chinense and C. frutescens showed global average methylation ranging from 82.8–89.1%, 77.6–83.9%, and 22.4–25% at CG, CHG and CHH contexts, respectively. High gene-body methylation at CG and CHG was observed across Capsicum species. The C. annuum showed the highest proportion (>80%) of mCs at different genomic regions compared to C. chinense and C. frutescens. Cytosine methylation for transposable-elements were lower in C. frutescens compared to C. annuum and C. chinense. A total of 510,165 CG, 583112 CHG and 277,897 CHH DMRs were identified across three Capsicum species. The differentially methylated regions (DMRs) distribution analysis revealed C. frutescens as more hypo-methylated compared to C. annuum and C. chinense, and also the presence of more intergenic DMRs in Capsicum genome. At CG and CHG context, gene expression and promoter methylation showed inverse correlations. Furthermore, the observed correlation between methylation and expression of genes suggested the potential role of methylation in Capsicum fruit development/ripening.