Phytophthora capsici is a destructive, broad-host oomycete that causes major agricultural losses. Yet how this generalist pathogen tailors its infection program to different plant species, especially at its natural entry site remains poorly understood. We profiled P. capsici during early crown infection of four hosts representing distinct compatibility outcomes (cucumber, melon, chili pepper CM334, and tomato) using pathogen-centered RNA-seq and microscopy. Disease progression and necrosis diverged sharply: tomato collapsed by 27 hpi, followed by melon (54 hpi), cucumber (102 hpi), and chili pepper (120 hpi). Pathogen transcriptomes were strongly host-dependent, with 4470 differentially expressed genes but only a small conserved core shared across hosts (436 induced; 415 repressed). In rapidly collapsing tomato infections, the pathogen upregulated glycolysis and fatty-acid metabolism and repressed HR-associated elicitin INF2B. In cucurbit infections, expression patterns were consistent with prolonged biotrophy, including increased carbohydrate metabolism, transport processes, and nutrient acquisition. In partially resistant CM334, pathogen profiles indicated constrained early colonization, with metabolic stress, cell wall remodeling, and broad effector repression. Co-expression analysis identified modules linked to colonization, nutrient exploitation, and pathogenesis/defense-related functions. dsRNA-mediated silencing supported these patterns: silencing Pc18476 and Pc9358 reduced pathogen growth on cucumber leaves (∼78% and ∼65%), and in stem assays reduced growth and/or prevented necrosis in CM334 and tomato. Together, these findings show that P. capsici achieves broad host range by dynamically tuning effector deployment and metabolism to host-specific constraints, resulting in divergent infection outcomes during early crown invasion.

It is vital to investigate waterlogging-tolerant regulatory mechanisms in chili pepper. Waterlogging stress in pepper "ZHC2" resulted in numerous adventitious roots appearing and an increase in stem diameter and average root diameter. Under waterlogging stress, the contents of amino acids, soluble proteins, and reduced glutathione, as well as the activities of cellulase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and peroxidase, increased significantly compared with the control. Under waterlogging stress, 80296 peaks and 8900 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) coupled with transcriptomics analysis. The associated upregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the "plant hormone signal transduction", "biosynthesis of amino acids", and "phenylalanine metabolism" pathways. Compared with the control, waterlogging tolerance of CaMYB96-silenced plants decreased, while that of overexpression lines increased significantly. CaMYB96 increased the levels of cellulase, soluble proteins, and antioxidants to enhance pepper waterlogging tolerance by regulating CaTIFY5A expression.

Ensuring the authenticity of domestically produced red chili powder is crucial for consumer trust in Korea. Here, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was combined with systematic variable selection and multiple machine-learning algorithms to classify 79 commercial samples (43 domestic and 36 imported). From the LIBS spectra, nine representative elemental emission lines (Mg, Li, Rb, Ca, K, Na, H, C, and O) were chosen via interclass-distance analysis, and all 511 non-empty variable subsets were modeled using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), Naive Bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF). The highest leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) accuracy was 97.5% and it was achieved with only two or three variables (Mg + Li, Mg + Li + Rb, or Mg + Li + Ca), showing that a compact feature set suffices for reliable discrimination. Bootstrapped random-split validation (100 independent 70 : 30 partitions) further confirmed robustness: mean accuracies were consistent with LOOCV within one standard deviation, and variable-selection frequencies were strongly concentrated on Mg, Li, and Rb (with Ca occasionally replacing Rb). Across models, Mg, Li, Rb, and Ca consistently exhibited the strongest discriminative power, reflecting agro-environmental and geological contrasts between production regions. Overall, LIBS with principled variable selection provides a rapid, cost-effective, and reproducible framework for differentiating domestic and imported red chili powders.

The purpose of this study was to examine how temperature and drying time affect the quality of red chili powder. This study took place from December 6 to 21, 2023, at Almuslim Peusangan-Bireuen University's Mathematics and Natural Sciences Laboratory. This study used factorial RAL. There were two factors studied: temperature (S1 = 50°C, S2 = 60°C, and S3 = 70°C) and drying time (P1 = 5 h, P2 = 6 h, and P3 = 7 h). This study's findings include organoleptic tests, moisture content, and yield. The results showed that the temperature treatment at 70°C had a very significant effect on the moisture content of red chili powder, with a moisture of 7.91% and meeting the SNI requirements for dried chili moisture of 11%, but the treatment had no significant effect on the moisture of red chili, yield, or organoleptic test. The drying time treatment had no significant effect on the moisture content of red chili, the moisture content, the yield, and the organoleptic test; however, the 7-h drying time treatment had the highest percentage of the moisture content of red chili and red chili powder, as well as the lowest yield. The organoleptic test on red chili powder treated at 500°C with a drying time of 7 h had the highest color score, namely 3.68 an average score, and the highest aroma score, namely 3.58 with the category of quite like. Keywords: chili powder, drying time, red chili, temperature

The galactinol synthase (GolS) and raffinose synthase (RS) play crucial roles in the synthesis of raffinose family oligosaccharides, which are involved in stress protection, carbohydrate transport, and fruit development in plants. This study aimed to conduct a genome-wide identification and characterization of GolS and RS genes in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) and to investigate their responses to environmental and hormonal factors. Six CaGolS and seven CaRS genes were identified in the pepper genome. Structural analysis showed that CaGolS genes have relatively compact exon-intron arrangements, while CaRS genes possess more complex structures. Phylogenetic comparison with related species revealed strong evolutionary conservation within the Solanaceae group. Transcriptome analysis showed that CaGolS1, CaGolS2, CaGolS3, CaRS2, and CaRS7 were highly responsive to abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, salinity, and osmotic stress, as well as to hormonal treatments involving abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethylene. Several genes also showed differential expression during fruit development and ripening, indicating their contribution to sugar metabolism and stress adaptation during maturation. The results provide new insights into the GolS and RS gene families in hot pepper and identify potential gene targets for developing stress-tolerant and high-quality pepper cultivars.

Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination pose a serious threat to global food safety. Boron (B) application effectively reduces Cd accumulation in crops via a dual defense mechanism. This review synthesizes the mechanisms of apoplastic barrier reinforcement and transmembrane transport regulation in plants. B promotes pectin biosynthesis, cross-linking and demethylation of the cell wall to immobilize more Cd2+. It also stimulates the deposition of lignin in the Casparian strip, physically blocking Cd2+ entry into the stele of rice, hot pepper and rape. Additionally, B acts as a transcriptional regulator to downregulate influx transporters (e.g., NRAMP1, IRT1) located at the plasma membrane. Consequently, the expression of vacuolar sequestration transporters (e.g., HMA3, ABCC2) is suppressed, reflecting an adaptive response to reduced cytosolic Cd. The concept of "external exclusion and influx inhibition" provides a theoretical basis for implementing B-based agronomic practices as a strategy to inhibit Cd uptake, ensuring safer food production in Cd-contaminated soils.

A bacterial strain isolated from chilli pepper was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens using VITEK 2, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and 16S rRNA sequencing. Designated SBCHGBA1, this strain was assessed for its ability to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus species and suppress aflatoxin synthesis. On trypticase soy agar, SBCHGBA1 exhibited strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus MTCC2798 and Aspergillus parasiticus MTCC411. Among 15 Aspergillus flavus strains tested, 13 produced detectable aflatoxin levels (7.0-257.4 µg/l) in trypticase soy broth after 14 days at 25 °C. Remarkably, co-cultivation with SBCHGBA1 completely inhibited aflatoxin production in all except in one strain. Additionally, a 77% reduction in aflatoxin content was observed in chilli pepper inoculated with Aspergillus flavus MTCC2798 when co-cultured with SBCHGBA1. These findings highlight Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SBCHGBA1 as a promising biocontrol agent for mitigating aflatoxin contamination in chilli peppers and related food systems.

A novel 3D-printed flexible electrode with rGO/MWCNTs ink for capsaicin detection in chilli peppers.

Integrated effects of Curcumin application methods and Trichoderma afroharzianum on Fusarium wilt management and biochemical responses in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum).

Conventional gardening leads to major negative effects such as soil degradation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and health risks for the population. Face to those challenges, organic vegetable farming certified by the Participatory Guarantee System (Bio-PGS) is emerging as a sustainable alternative. This study explores its socio-economic and environmental impacts in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of the Kadiogo province of Burkina Faso. Data was collected by survey from 20 key informants and 102 Bio-PGS producers. Descriptive analysis and statistical tests (Chi-Square and Fisher) has been applied. In peri-urban, rural, and urban areas, women represent 100%, 76.47%, and 96.83% of producers, respectively. Yields declining, high cost of chemical inputs, and distribution network encourage producers to adopt market gardening of certified bio participatory guarantee system. For biopesticides chili pepper, garlic, and papaya leaf mixture was the most commonly used in urban (60%), rural (12%) and peri urban (19%) areas. As for bio-fertilizers compost (63%) were mostly used in urban areas, Bokassi and compost (17%) in rural areas and Bokassi (21%) in peri-urban areas. Resource-saving practices were reported by 100% of producers in peri-urban areas, 94.12% in rural areas and 46.03% in urban areas. There was a significant difference at the 1% level between peri-urban and urban areas (p < 0.0001) and between rural and urban areas (p = 0.0014). Intercropping was practiced by all farmers in peri-urban areas, 30.77% in rural areas and 63.41% in urban areas. There was a significant difference between the proportions in peri-urban and rural areas (p < 0.0001) and between peri-urban and urban areas (p = 0.0015). Repellant plants were used by 22.77% of producers in peri-urban areas, 100% in rural areas and 78.05% in urban areas. There was a significant difference at the 1% level between the proportions in peri-urban and rural areas (p = 0.0003) and between peri-urban and urban areas (p = 0.0116). Individual producers (98.89%), producers with market access (66.67%), of producers who are members of an association (100%) and Amaranthus producers (96.47%) had an income between 0 and 500,000 CFA francs, with a significant difference compared to those with an income above 500,000 CFA francs. For maximizing Bio-PGS potential, additional efforts are needed, particularly in terms of institutional support and consumer awareness. Key words: Bio-PGS certification, Burkina Faso, Incomes, Vegetable farming, Sustainability

Abstract In the natural drying, as the agro products are directly bare to the sun, nutrition's have been lost and the quality is spoiled by dust particles, insects etc. In this work to perform drying experiments on red chili and green peas, four greenhouse solar dryers are designed with two dissimilar roof shapes and cover materials. The roof shapes investigated are even span and parabolic and covering materials such as polyethylene and poly vinyl chloride sheets. All the four dryers consist of three layers as black painted plywood at the bottom, black PVC sheet of 3 mm thickness in the middle and the upper layer is prepared with Stainless Steel mesh tray which is used to place the product to be dried. To study the results with two different roofs shape and cover materials by using green peas. The outcomes show that humidity is reduced from 76% to 8%(wet basis) in the dryer of parabolic shape with polyethylene cover material within 20 solar hours whereas open sun drying requires 36 solar hours, hence it is efficient in saving the drying time of 44.4%. Thermal and environmental analyses are carried out to ensure the efficiency of the dryer and environmental impact. The net CO 2 mitigation was calculated to be 22.07 tons, and the generated carbon credit was calculated to be Rs. 21,006. The total quantity of dried green peas from each greenhouse solar dryer is estimated as 52 kg and reimbursement period for the parabolic polyethylene greenhouse solar dryer is 2 years.

Acute spicy stimulation reduces laser-induced heat pain perception in healthy adults.

Capsaicin responses in Drosophila: Exploring the possibility of establishing a new Non-TRPV1 model.

Rapid qualitative identification and quantitative detection of three common spice extracts based on SERS technology.

Coordinated postharvest trait networks in green chilli, guava, and tomato: Multivariate insights into physicochemical, antioxidant, and mineral quality retention under household storage

Pepper-Det: A real-time framework for automated chili pepper detection and harvesting point localization

Household food security in rural areas remains a challenge due to dependence on external food supplies and price fluctuations of horticultural commodities, particularly chili peppers. Slarang Village, Kesugihan Subdistrict, Cilacap Regency, has considerable home-yard potential that has not been optimally utilized to support household food independence. This community service activity aims to enhance the utilization of home yards through the intensification of chili seed planting as an effort to strengthen household food security. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed through field observations, interviews, mentoring, and hands-on practice of chili cultivation using polybags. The results indicate that home-yard intensification through chili cultivation improves community knowledge and skills in simple cultivation techniques and contributes to the availability of fresh food at the household level. This activity also has the potential to reduce household dependence on market supplies and mitigate household expenditures caused by chili price volatility. Therefore, home-yard intensification through chili cultivation represents an effective, practical, and sustainable strategy for strengthening village-level food security.

High-throughput RNA sequencing reveals plant viromes, but library preparation methods may bias viral detection. Here, we compared rRNA-depleted total RNA-seq and poly(A)-selected mRNA-seq using field-collected pepper leaves (Anseong and Jincheon) and garlic cloves (Hoengseong) from Korean commercial fields. rRNA-depleted total RNA-seq consistently recovered more viruses, longer contigs, and complete multipartite DNA virus genomes (e.g., milk vetch dwarf virus components, tomato spotted wilt virus segments), while mRNA-seq was dominated by highly expressed polyadenylated viruses like broad bean wilt virus 2. In Jincheon pepper, mRNA-seq missed hot pepper endornavirus, pepper cryptic virus 2, and multiple milk vetch dwarf virus segments revealed by total RNA-seq. Garlic libraries showed similar patterns, with total RNA-seq additionally detecting low-titer RNA viruses likely representing contamination. rRNA-depleted total RNA-seq provides a more complete, less biased view of plant viromes and is recommended for comprehensive virus discovery and genome reconstruction, while mRNA-seq remains useful for polyadenylated virus quantification and host gene expression analysis alongside virome profiling.

Food has been a fundamental component of human existence, playing a crucial role in sustaining life, health, and social continuity. The evolution of food practices reflects the broader evolution of human civilization across generations. In the Indian context, food heritage serves as a mirror of the nation’s cultural richness, shaped by history, geography, climate, religion, trade, and social traditions. This study presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the evolution of food in India, examining its transformation from ancient times to the contemporary period. The cultivation of food in India began approximately 11,000 years ago during the Agricultural Revolution, marking a gradual shift from hunting and gathering to settled agricultural practices. India’s diverse climate supported the cultivation of a wide range of crops and spices, including black pepper, cardamom, and ginger, contributing significantly to regional culinary diversity. Traditionally, Indian diets were largely based on locally grown vegetables, grains, lentils, fruits, and home-prepared spices and oils. Religious philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism further shaped dietary practices, influencing vegetarianism, food restrictions, and ethical approaches to consumption. Trade and cultural exchange played a pivotal role in culinary evolution, with foods such as potatoes and green chilies introduced by Portuguese traders and crops like okra brought through interactions with Egypt and other regions. The colonial period, particularly British rule, marked a significant phase in the transformation of Indian food habits. In recent decades, globalization has intensified the influence of international cuisines, leading to the widespread consumption of fast foods and fusion dishes. While such culinary integration reflects cultural exchange, it also raises concerns regarding the gradual overshadowing of traditional and religious food practices. The study concludes that Indian food culture is a dynamic and evolving tradition that embodies continuity and change, reflecting India’s historical depth, cultural plurality, and adaptive resilience.

Background Foreign body aspiration is a recognized clinical emergency, but chili pepper fragment inhalation remains an under-recognized etiology, particularly in elderly populations. This study aims to clarify the clinical and radiological characteristics, diagnostic challenges, and bronchoscopic management of such cases. Methods We report two cases of elderly patients with subacute respiratory symptoms initially indicative of obstructive pneumonia or neoplasia. Both underwent extensive evaluation, including serial computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy. Results In both cases, high-resolution CT scans demonstrated hyperdense, V-shaped, or annular opacities within bronchial structures (best visualized with mediastinal window settings) that were suggestive of an inhaled foreign body. Prominent indirect indicators included localized bronchial wall thickening, luminal narrowing, and post-obstructive parenchymal changes. Flexible bronchoscopy identified chili pepper fragments obstructing the distal airways. Cryoextraction successfully removed specimens intact without fragmentation. Follow-up revealed residual bronchiectasis but significant symptomatic improvement. Conclusion Chili pepper fragment inhalation may be considered in cases of unexplained pneumonia, particularly in elderly populations or those with dietary habits involving small, sharp food items. CT imaging of hyperdense, V-shaped, or annular opacities within bronchial structures might provide valuable diagnostic clues, though radiographic findings may be subtle and non-pathognomonic. Bronchoscopy remains a key diagnostic and therapeutic modality, with cryoextraction demonstrating efficacy for extraction. Increased clinical awareness and prompt intervention are essential to prevent complications.