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Throughout the world, chili and chili powders are spices of considerable economic importance. Rocoto (Capsicum pubescens R. & P.) is a chili pepper used in Andean cuisine. Fresh chili is perishable and therefore it is convenient to protect the capsaicin, color and other bioactive compounds through preservation methods such as encapsulation. The present study systematically evaluates the technical and environmental aspects of producing encapsulated Rocoto red chili powder using three different wall materials—maltodextrin, rice protein and rice flour—in conjunction with two drying methods, namely convection drying and vacuum drying. Our technical objectives focused on developing an encapsulated product with high heat and vibrant red color, key attributes that significantly influence consumer purchasing behavior. In addition, the study aimed to mitigate the loss of polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity. After identifying the optimal conditions for each wall material and drying process, a comprehensive environmental assessment was conducted to identify the most efficient and sustainable production methods. The results demonstrate that rice flour encapsulation (20%) in conjunction with hot air drying (40 °C) represents the most efficacious method for the preservation of chili powder's pungency. This approach resulted in a mere 24% reduction in Scoville units while maintaining the powder's vibrant red coloration. This method not only preserved key bioactive compounds, including capsaicin, polyphenols and flavonoids, but also significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the product. From an environmental perspective, this approach offers significant sustainability benefits, reducing the overall environmental impact by approximately 72% compared to vacuum drying of unencapsulated chili. The use of rice flour as an encapsulant aligns with sustainability goals, making it the most efficient option for balancing product quality and environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) is well-known for its high pungency and pleasant aroma. The recent years witnessed a significant decline in popularity of this important crop due to the use of inferior planting material and lack of elite lines. To maintain constant performance across a variety of settings, it is crucial to choose stable lines with high yield and capsaicin content, as these are the most promising traits of Ghost Pepper. Method: In this study, 120 high-capsaicin genotypes were subjected to a 3-year (kharif 2017, 2018 and 2019) stability investigation utilizing two well-known stability methods: Eberhart-Russell (ER) and additive main effects and multiple interaction (AMMI). Three replications were used following Randomized Complete Block Design for 11 traits. The experiment soil was sandy loam with pH 4.9. Minimum and maximum temperature of 18.5 °C, 17.5 °C, 17.4 °C and 32.2 °C, 31.3 °C, 32.7 °C and rainfall of 1,781, 2,099, 1,972 mm respectively was recorded for the study period. Result: The genotype-environment linear interaction (G×E Lin.) was highly significant for days to 50% flowering, capsaicin content, fruit length and girth, fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant at p < 0.005. G×E interaction for fruit yield and capsaicin content in AMMI-analysis of variance reported 67.07% and 71.51% contribution by IPCA-1 (interactive principal component axis) and 32.76% and 28.49% by IPCA-2, respectively. Eight genotypes were identified to be stable with high yield and capsaicin content. The identified stable lines can be opted for cultivation to reduce the impact of crop failure when grown in different macro-environments. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and spice sectors will also be benefitted from the lines with high capsaicin content. Further research assessing the lines' performance across various regions of India can provide a solid foundation for the crop's evaluation at national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) is well-known for its high pungency and pleasant aroma. The recent years witnessed a significant decline in popularity of this important crop due to the use of inferior planting material and lack of elite lines. To maintain constant performance across a variety of settings, it is crucial to choose stable lines with high yield and capsaicin content, as these are the most promising traits of Ghost Pepper. Method In this study, 120 high-capsaicin genotypes were subjected to a 3-year (kharif 2017, 2018 and 2019) stability investigation utilizing two well-known stability methods: Eberhart-Russell (ER) and additive main effects and multiple interaction (AMMI). Three replications were used following Randomized Complete Block Design for 11 traits. The experiment soil was sandy loam with pH 4.9. Minimum and maximum temperature of 18.5 °C, 17.5 °C, 17.4 °C and 32.2 °C, 31.3 °C, 32.7 °C and rainfall of 1,781, 2,099, 1,972 mm respectively was recorded for the study period. Result The genotype-environment linear interaction (G×E Lin.) was highly significant for days to 50% flowering, capsaicin content, fruit length and girth, fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant at p < 0.005. G×E interaction for fruit yield and capsaicin content in AMMI-analysis of variance reported 67.07% and 71.51% contribution by IPCA-1 (interactive principal component axis) and 32.76% and 28.49% by IPCA-2, respectively. Eight genotypes were identified to be stable with high yield and capsaicin content. The identified stable lines can be opted for cultivation to reduce the impact of crop failure when grown in different macro-environments. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and spice sectors will also be benefitted from the lines with high capsaicin content. Further research assessing the lines’ performance across various regions of India can provide a solid foundation for the crop’s evaluation at national level.

Abstract Pungency of garlic (Allium sativum L.) is generated from breakdown of the alk(en)yl cysteine sulphoxide (CSO), alliin and its subsequent breakdown to allicin under the activity of alliinase (All). Based on recent evidence, two other important genes including Sulfite reductase (SiR) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) are thought to be related to sulfur metabolism. These three gene functions are in sulfate assimilation pathway. However, whether it is involved in stress response in crops is largely unknown. In this research, the order and priority of simultaneous expression of three genes including All, SiR and SOD were measured on some garlic ecotypes of Iran, collected from Zanjan, Hamedan and Gilan, provinces under sulfur concentrations (0, 6, 12, 24 and 60 g/ per experimental unit: pot) using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. For understanding the network interactions between studied genes and other related genes, in silico gene network analysis was constructed to investigate various mechanisms underlying stimulation of A. sativum L. to cope with imposed sulfur. Complicated network including TF-TF, miRNA-TF, and miRNA-TF-gene, was split into sub-networks to have a deeper insight. Analysis of q-RT-PCR data revealed the highest expression in All and SiR genes respectively. To distinguish and select significant pathways in sulfur metabolism, RESNET Plant database of Pathway Studio software v.10 (Elsevier), and other relative data such as chemical reactions, TFs, miRNAs, enzymes, and small molecules were extracted. Complex sub-network exhibited plenty of routes between stress response and sulfate assimilation pathway. Even though Alliinase did not display any connectivity with other stress response genes, it showed binding relation with lectin functional class, as a result of which connected to leucine zipper, exocellulase, peroxidase and ARF functional class indirectly. Integration network of these genes revealed their involvement in various biological processes such as, RNA splicing, stress response, gene silencing by miRNAs, and epigenetic. The findings of this research can be used to extend further research on the garlic metabolic engineering, garlic stress related genes, and also reducing or enhancing the activity of the responsible genes for garlic pungency for health benefits and industry demands.

Purpose The beneficial effects of liquid humus applied to plants are well reported in the literature; however, studies of liquid humic application in the production and quality of garlic culture are practically nonexistent. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of foliar application of a liquid humic extract from vermicompost (HEVC) that is well characterized by solid-state 13C NMR on garlic production and fruit quality under field conditions. Method After 45 days in the field, garlic plants received foliar applications of HEVC at three different dilutions: 1:40, 1:60 and 1:80 (v:v). Humic substances (HS) in HEVC were characterized by 13C NMR CP/MAS spectroscopy. At 125 days after planting, the plants were collected, and growth and production parameters were determined: quantity of garlic cloves, fresh and dry bulb, diameter of garlic cloves and bulb, as well as parameters of fruit quality including caliber, firmness, acidity, brix, pungency, carbohydrate and protein contents. Results The structure of HS in HEVC is composed mainly of carbohydrates and peptides as well as lignin fragments, explaining the stimulus effects on plant metabolism. The foliar application of HEVC improves the productive, commercial and internal quality parameters of fruits when compared to the control treatment. The HEVC foliar application in 1:40 v:v ratio was the most promising treatment in terms of increases in fruit quality indices, promoting improvements in bulb caliber, numbers of garlic cloves and internal fruit content. Conclusion The foliar application of HEVC benefits garlic production and fruit quality. The use of HEVC can be a sustainable alternative within the small-scale garlic phytotechnology package.

Physicochemical properties, pungency, anti-nutritional factors, cutting strength, and colour attributes of seven promising garlic varieties were assessed for their potential application. The garlic varieties were found to be slightly acidic (pH 6.08 - 6.77), and contained varying amounts of crude protein, carbohydrate, crude fat, ash, crude fibre, acidity, and total soluble solids (TSS). The pungency factor as pyruvic acid was found to be in the range of 34.84 - 86.69 µmol/mL, whereas anti-nutritional factors such as saponin (6.63 - 13.98 g), phytic acid (0.03 - 0.6 g), and tannin (0.18 - 0.39 gCE) per 100 g on a fresh weight basis were present. The Bhima purple (BP) variety with a purple tinge showed higher saponin content than the other varieties with a whitish tinge. The cutting strength of garlic cloves varied between 17.20 and 104.61 N. Physical and gravimetric properties were estimated and found to be variety-dependent (p = 0.05). Colour attributes like L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness), chroma, hue, and browning index were significantly different (p = 0.05) for all the garlic varieties. The minimum hue value, and maximum a* and b* values, browning index (BI), and chroma were found in the BP variety. Principal component analysis as a significant multivariate analysis tool was applied to assess the existence of correlation among the estimated parameters. It was found to be 75.41% of the total variance when considering the first three principals. Haryana garlic-17 (HG-17) variety showed significant quality as it yielded positive correlation with the maximum number of quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piquin pepper fruits, a semi-domesticated wild pepper species highly valued in Mexico, currently face the threat of unsustainable harvesting practices that endanger the species. For this reason, it is necessary to establish sustainable agricultural practices for the cultivation of these peppers. Solar radiation, a critical determinant in crop production, plays a crucial role in plant development, influencing a spectrum of physiological and morphological processes, including the synthesis of phytochemicals. Our study evaluated the effect of light manipulation through colored shading nets on the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and fruit quality of semi-domesticated piquin peppers at two maturation stages: immature and mature (green and red fruits). Our hypothesis posits that these shading treatments may induce changes in these fruits' phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties, as well as quality. Our results indicate that the shading treatments and maturity stage have significant on capsaicinoid and carotenoid levels, with the highest levels observed in mature fruits. Notably, red fruits grown under black shading treatments resulted in the highest capsaicinoid levels. Carotenoid levels were higher in the black shading treatment during the first cycle, while in the second cycle, the blue shading treatment showed elevated carotenoid levels, suggesting that high irradiance conditions could reduce carotenoid contents. Although no significant differences were observed among the treatments in green fruits, in red fruits, both black and blue treatments exhibited the highest total phenolic compounds in both production cycles. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity revealed that red fruits exhibited higher antioxidant levels than green fruits. Color analysis showed that red fruits had higher chroma and hue angle values, indicating their brighter and more intense red color than green fruits. The morphological changes in fruit width, length, and weight can be attributed to shading treatments and maturation stages. These results indicate the potential of piquin peppers to act as rich sources of bioactive compounds, emphasizing the benefits of shading as an effective strategy to improve the quality and quantity of phytochemical compounds in piquin peppers. Our findings provide substantial insights into the intricate relationship between maturation, shading treatments, and phytochemical composition, offering a path to improve the nutritional value and quality of piquin peppers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicinoids are a class of alkaloids with vanillyl and medium/long-chain fatty acid amide structures, and capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are the most pungent capsaicinoids. Some capsaicinoids activate related receptors and induce the transmission of nociceptive and thermic neural signals, leading to pungency perception. The Scoville scale is the most common method for pungency evaluation. However, it cannot reflect the actual pungency of samples because the result is only correlated with the contents of pungent substances. Time-intensity approach provides several quantitative indexes to measure pungency and is more useful. In addition to increasing the content of capsaicinoids, using aqueous-based carrier, increasing the temperature, sensitization, and some sensory stimuli can enhance the pungency perception of capsaicinoids, which deserves special attention in sensory evaluation. In summary, this paper reviewed the structure and distribution of capsaicinoids, mechanism and evaluation methods for pungency perception, as well as factors that may influence the perception of spiciness. This article provides some reference for the pungency prediction and development of spicy foods.

Onions (Allium cepa) are typically planted late fall and harvested in spring in the Vidalia, GA, USA, region. Onions grown here are renowned for their for sweetness and are marketed to consumers as Vidalia onions. High rainfall during the relatively long growing season (4 to 5 months) may result in nitrogen (N) leaching during production. Therefore, fertilizer applications are usually aligned with stages of crop development to ensure nutrient availability for the entire season. Although the impacts of N application rate have been previously investigated for Vidalia onion production, the optimal timing for the final N application of the season has not been determined. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal timing of the last fertilizer N application (at bulb initiation, during bulb growth, or during bulb maturation) in conjunction with the impact of three N application rates (75, 105, and 135 lb/acre N) on yield and quality in Vidalia onion. Soil N levels were affected by N rate, year, and onion growth stage. In 2020, up to 135 lb/acre N was required to maximize onion yields, and in 2021, onion yields were unchanged among N fertilizer treatments. Final N applications at bulb initiation resulted in greater yields than applications made during bulb growth or bulb maturation. In addition, as the N rate increased and the time of final application occurred later in bulb development, pungency values increased. Incidence of sour skin (Burkholderia cepacia) and center rot (Pantoea sp.) diseases were greater in 2020 compared with 2021 and seemed to be affected by environmental conditions more than N fertilization.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum) and bell pepper (C. annuum var. grossum) are the important crops of the Solanaceae family. In the present study, marker-assisted selection (MAS) was employed for interspecific leaf curl virus disease (LCVD) resistant gene introgression from hot pepper (S-343) to heat-tolerant bell pepper lines. Segregating populations were developed using resistant (S-343) and susceptible (bell pepper) genotypes for understanding the genetics of LCVD resistance. The micro-cage artificial screening technique was used for the phenotypic selection of LCVD resistant plants from progenies of each population. The F1 of all crosses were resistant to LCVD, while F2 and BC1F2 generations of all the crosses were segregated into 3:1 (resistant:susceptible) and BC1F1 generations of all crosses were a good fit to ratio 1:1 (resistant:susceptible) suggesting monogenic dominant control of LCVD resistance. In addition to phenotypic selection for LCVD resistance, MAS for non-pungency was done using 'BF7' and 'BR9'-SCAR primers along with the very stringent phenotyping (background selection) in backcrossed populations for most important fruit traits. The background selection was performed for the recovery of recurrent parent phenome and it was measured as shift in means of these important fruit traits. To the best of our knowledge, it is a novel experiment of introgression of LCVD resistance in heat tolerant bell pepper lines that led to the successful development of six improved LCVD resistant, heat-tolerant and non-pungent BC2F1 populations (LCVRS3SM-1, LCVRS3SM-2, LCVRS3SM-8, LCVRS3SM-4, LCVRS3SM-17, and LCVRS3SM-58) that will help in future bell pepper resistant breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Piperine, the principle pungent compound in black peppers, is known to activate the capsaicin receptor TRPV1 ion channel. How piperine interacts with the channel protein, however, remains unclear. Here we show that piperine binds to the same ligand-binding pocket as capsaicin but in different poses. There was no detectable detrimental effect when T551 and E571, two major sites known to form hydrogen bond with capsaicin, were mutated to a hydrophobic amino acid. Computational structural modeling suggested that piperine makes interactions with multiple amino acids within the ligand binding pocket, including T671 on the pore-forming S6 segment. Mutations of this residue could substantially reduce or even eliminate piperine-induced activation, confirming that T671 is an important site. Our results suggest that the bound piperine may directly interact with the pore-forming S6 segment to induce channel opening. These findings help to explain why piperine is a weak agonist, and may guide future efforts to develop novel pharmaceutical reagents targeting TRPV1.

This article documents an approach to predicting positive sensory attributes – fruitiness, bitterness, pungency-of virgin olive oil from its chemical characteristics, using machine learning methods. The dataset used in this study included forty-nine olive oil samples of the Koroneiki variety from nine selected olive mills, evenly distributed in the region of Messinia, Greece. The samples were analyzed for free acidity, peroxide value, the UV absorption for the determination of the extinction coefficients, phenolic compounds (total secoiridoid phenols, oleocanthal, oleacein, oleuropein aglycon and ligstroside aglycon) and sterol compounds (total sterols, cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, d7-stigmasterol, erythrodiol, uvaol, b-sitosterol). Sensory analysis of the samples took place 20–30 days after their sampling date and the intensity of three positive attributes (fruitiness, bitterness and pungency) was measured. The authors used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) for feature selection and then applied ordinary least squares (OLS) methods to build the final models. Three Python-based forecasting machine learning models for each sensory characteristic (fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency) were built and evaluated in comparison to one another in terms of the performance metrics of root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), using repeated 5-fold cross-validation. The interacting effects among the sensory features were also considered for developing the two regression models, while the third model was only based on chemical attributes. The results obtained, revealed a significant relationship between each sensory attribute and the intensity of the other two, with the respective prediction models demonstrating a highly satisfactory level of performance. Furthermore, models that employed only chemical indices as predictors provided strong evidence that chemical indices alone were sufficient to predict the intensities of the sensory attributes. The findings of this study establish the predictive value of the constructed models, which might be utilized to support panels in training and calibration.

Exogenous growth regulators (GRs) play a crucial role in alleviating water stress and sustaining crop yields in water-stressed areas. However, their effects on onions post-harvest quality, particularly post-monsoon onion—often preferred for long-term storage—were never studied. Therefore, this led us to investigate the interaction between water stress and GRs on the physiochemical and functional quality attributes of onions during long-term storage (9 months, at 25 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% RH). Onion crop was raised under four water stress levels i.e., 1.00–0.85, 0.84–0.70, 0.69–0.40, and 0.39–0.10 IW: CPE, designated as no, low, medium, and severe water stress, respectively, using a line source sprinkler system (LSS). GR treatments include potassium nitrate (PN, 15 g L−1), sodium benzoate (SB, 100 mg L−1), thio-urea (TU, 450 ppm), and gibberellic acid (GA, 25 ppm). Results reveal that the significant temporal changes in the dry matter, rehydration ratio, total soluble sugar (TSS), protein, and total phenolics content (TP) of the onion bulbs during storage, indicate the cumulative impact of the treatments on overall physicochemical status. Water stress increased onion biochemical attributes, especially pyruvic acid content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) activity. Storage quality of onions progressively decreased with the increase in storage period. Stressed onions, especially those produced under severe water stress condition, showed high weight losses, presenting poor keeping quality. However, application of GRs, especially SB, TU, and PN, reduced bulb weight losses together with maintaining slightly better bulb physicochemical properties, thereby improving the overall storage quality, particularly with a moderate level of water stress (0.69–0.40 IW:CPE). The exogenous application of GRs with moderate water stress is suggested as a key strategy in improving the keeping quality of onion bulbs and ensuring its availability during the lean season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit quality phenotyping is a bottleneck in plant breeding. The present work aimed to investigate the applicability of visible (Vis) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for quality evaluation in dry red chili powder. We constructed prediction models for the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA)-colour and the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU)- pungency pepper traits using spectroscopy and multivariate statistical techniques. Predictive partial least squares (PLS) models were successfully achieved with high correlations (r) between the predicted and reference values for calibration and validation (r = 0.955 and 0.928 for ASTA-colour; r = 0.941 and 0.918 for SHU-pungency). Spectroscopy data from visible and short-wave radiation (Vis-SWNIR) provided the most robust (residual predictive deviation value) model for ASTA-colour (RPD = 2.84) and long-wave radiation (LWNIR) for SHU-pungency (RPD = 2.48). Spectral categories for wavelength range selection, variable importance for effective wavelength selection, and root mean press-statistic for factor selection were important criteria for PLS. Trait variance and distribution were also important criteria for the predictive capacity and power of the models. In conclusion, non-invasive spectroscopy was a promising tool in our study for dry red chili quality phenotyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piquin pepper fruits, a semi-domesticated wild pepper species highly valued in Mexico, currently face the threat of unsustainable harvesting practices that endanger the species. For this reason, it is necessary to establish sustainable agricultural practices for the cultivation of these peppers. Solar radiation, a critical determinant in crop production, plays a crucial role in plant development, influencing a spectrum of physiological and morphological processes, including the synthesis of phytochemicals. Our study evaluated the effect of light manipulation through colored shading nets on the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and fruit quality of semi-domesticated piquin peppers at two maturation stages: immature and mature (green and red fruits). Our hypothesis posits that these shading treatments may induce changes in these fruits’ phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties, as well as quality. Our results indicate that the shading treatments and maturity stage have significant on capsaicinoid and carotenoid levels, with the highest levels observed in mature fruits. Notably, red fruits grown under black shading treatments resulted in the highest capsaicinoid levels. Carotenoid levels were higher in the black shading treatment during the first cycle, while in the second cycle, the blue shading treatment showed elevated carotenoid levels, suggesting that high irradiance conditions could reduce carotenoid contents. Although no significant differences were observed among the treatments in green fruits, in red fruits, both black and blue treatments exhibited the highest total phenolic compounds in both production cycles. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity revealed that red fruits exhibited higher antioxidant levels than green fruits. Color analysis showed that red fruits had higher chroma and hue angle values, indicating their brighter and more intense red color than green fruits. The morphological changes in fruit width, length, and weight can be attributed to shading treatments and maturation stages. These results indicate the potential of piquin peppers to act as rich sources of bioactive compounds, emphasizing the benefits of shading as an effective strategy to improve the quality and quantity of phytochemical compounds in piquin peppers. Our findings provide substantial insights into the intricate relationship between maturation, shading treatments, and phytochemical composition, offering a path to improve the nutritional value and quality of piquin peppers.

Opportunistic pathogenic fungi arise in agricultural crops as well as in surrounding human daily life. The recent increase in antifungal-resistant strains has created the need for new effective antifungals, particularly those based on plant secondary metabolites, such as capsaicinoids and capsinoids produced by Capsicum species. The use of such natural compounds is well-aligned with the One Health approach, which tries to find an equilibrium among people, animals, and the environment. Considering this, the main objective of the present work is to review the antifungal potential of capsaicinoids and capsinoids, and to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of biofungicides based on these compounds. Overall, capsaicinoids and their analogues can be used to control pathogenic fungi growth in plant crops, as eco-friendly alternatives to pest management, and assist in the conservation and long-term storage of agrifood products. Their application in different stages of the agricultural and food production chains improves food safety, nutritional value, and overcomes antimicrobial resistance, with a lower associated risk to humans, animals, and the environment than that of synthetic fungicides and pesticides. Nevertheless, research on the effect of these compounds on bee-like beneficial insects and the development of new preservatives and packaging materials is still necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is an important vegetable crop that provides a unique pungent sensation when eaten. Through construction of a pepper variome map, we examined the main groups that emerged during domestication and breeding of C. annuum , their relationships and temporal succession, and the molecular events underlying the main transitions. The results showed that the initial differentiation in fruit shape and pungency, increase in fruit weight, and transition from erect to pendent fruits, as well as the recent appearance of large, blocky, sweet fruits (bell peppers), were accompanied by strong selection/fixation of key alleles and introgressions in two large genomic regions. Furthermore, we identified Up , which encodes a BIG GRAIN protein involved in auxin transport, as a key domestication gene that controls erect vs pendent fruit orientation. The up mutation gained increased expression especially in the fruit pedicel through a 579-bp sequence deletion in its 5′ upstream region, resulting in the phenotype of pendent fruit. The function of Up was confirmed by virus-induced gene silencing. Taken together, these findings constitute a cornerstone for understanding the domestication and differentiation of a key horticultural crop. In this study, the authors identified the selection footprints, key genes, and their temporal sequence that give rise to present-day variations in pepper fruit shape and pungency. It was found that two wild-fragment introgressions and strong selection on Pun1 marked the emergence of blocky fruit pepper. A key domestication gene (Up) controlling pepper fruit orientation was also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavor compounds provide aroma and sensations in the oral cavity. They are not present alone in the oral cavity, but rather in combination with several other food ingredients. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the mixing of pungent flavor compounds and the response of pungent receptors, TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels. We focused on lactones that activate TRPV1 despite their presence in bland foods, such as dairy products and fruits, and analyzed their interaction with receptors using TRPV1- and TRPA1-expressing HEK293 cells. We found that γ-octalactone, γ-nonalactone, and δ-nonalactone activated TRPA1. When mixed with pungent components, some γ- and δ-lactones inhibited capsaicin-mediated TRPV1 responses, and δ-dodecalactone inhibited allyl isothiocyanate-mediated TRPA1 responses. Furthermore, the dose–response relationship of capsaicin and γ-nonalactone to TRPV1 suggests that γ-nonalactone acts as an agonist or antagonist of TRPV1, depending on its concentration. Conversely, γ-nonalactone and δ-dodecalactone were found to act only as agonists and antagonists, respectively, against TRPA1. These results suggest that lactones in foods may not only endow food with aroma, but also play a role in modulating food pungency by acting on TRPV1 and TRPA1. The dose–response relationships of a mixture of flavor compounds with TRPV1 and TRPA1 provide insights into the molecular physiological basis of pungency that may be the cornerstone for developing new spice mix recipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous growth regulators (GRs) play a crucial role in alleviating water stress and sustaining crop yields in water-stressed areas. However, their effects on onions post-harvest quality, particularly post-monsoon onion—often preferred for long-term storage—were never studied. Therefore, this led us to investigate the interaction between water stress and GRs on the physiochemical and functional quality attributes of onions during long-term storage (9 months, at 25 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% RH). Onion crop was raised under four water stress levels i.e., 1.00–0.85, 0.84–0.70, 0.69–0.40, and 0.39–0.10 IW: CPE, designated as no, low, medium, and severe water stress, respectively, using a line source sprinkler system (LSS). GR treatments include potassium nitrate (PN, 15 g L−1), sodium benzoate (SB, 100 mg L−1), thio-urea (TU, 450 ppm), and gibberellic acid (GA, 25 ppm). Results reveal that the significant temporal changes in the dry matter, rehydration ratio, total soluble sugar (TSS), protein, and total phenolics content (TP) of the onion bulbs during storage, indicate the cumulative impact of the treatments on overall physicochemical status. Water stress increased onion biochemical attributes, especially pyruvic acid content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) activity. Storage quality of onions progressively decreased with the increase in storage period. Stressed onions, especially those produced under severe water stress condition, showed high weight losses, presenting poor keeping quality. However, application of GRs, especially SB, TU, and PN, reduced bulb weight losses together with maintaining slightly better bulb physicochemical properties, thereby improving the overall storage quality, particularly with a moderate level of water stress (0.69–0.40 IW:CPE). The exogenous application of GRs with moderate water stress is suggested as a key strategy in improving the keeping quality of onion bulbs and ensuring its availability during the lean season.

The variability in fruit pungency, size and quality was analyzed in 31 landraces of piquín pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser & Pickersgill) collected from 10 Mexican states. The response of fruits collected in situ and harvested in greenhouse was compared. Pungency was estimated by measuring capsaicinoids content with HPLC. Additionally, pungency was recorded along fruit maturity stages in greenhouse-grown fruits. On average, greenhouseproduced fruits were markedly more pungent than fruit collected from field locations (29 485 vs. 6114 SHU). Fieldcollected fruits averaged 5017 μg mL-1 capsaicin content, while dihydrocapsaicin averaged 7618 μg mL-1. In contrast, greenhouse-harvested fruits contained substantially more capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (34 762 and 26 174 μg mL-1, respectively), while the capsaicin:dihydrocapsaicin ratio inverted. The three most pungent field-collected landraces averaged 35% of the pungency measured in the three most pungent greenhouse-grown fruits. Pungency increased as maturity stage advanced: green (14 813 SHU) < intermediate (24 767 SHU) < red (29 485 SHU). The fruits collected from 31 field locations had lower titratable acidity, higher content of total soluble solids, and higher maturity index than fruits harvested in greenhouse. Greenhouse harvested fruits were larger and heavier than those collected in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic improvement program of the Seed Technology Training and Development Center works on the agronomic characterization and the content of bioactive compounds in eight genotypes of habanero pepper. The objective is to select genotypes with good agronomic performance that allow the generation of inbred lines to obtain hybrids. In this study, the agronomic performance and the content of bioactive compounds (capsaicinoids, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity) were evaluated in eight genotypes of habanero pepper grown in the southeast of Coahuila, Mexico, identified as HNC-1, HNC-2, HNC-3, HNC-4, HNC-5, HNC-6, HNC-7, and HCC-8. The plants were grown in a greenhouse for 127 days, under a completely randomized design with four replications each. The results revealed that the yield (g·plant−1) and number of fruits per plant did not show significant differences between genotypes. However, for the fruit length, the genotypes HCC-8, HNC-7, HNC-6, and HNC-5 stood out with over 40 mm, while in equatorial diameter of the fruit, HCC-8, HNC-4, and HNC-2 stood out with 26.45, 26.46, and 25.12 mm, respectively. The results of the chemical analyses allowed us to identify that HNC-5 and HNC-6 had the highest capsaicin concentration (931.38 and 959.77 mg·kg−1), dihydrocapsaicin (434.95 and 445.89 mg·kg−1), Scoville Heat Units greater than 210,000, total phenols (67.54 and 71.15 mg/100 g) and total flavonoids (34.21 and 38.29 mg/100 g), respectively. The HNC-1 and HNC-6 genotypes had the highest carotenoids concentration with 103.96 and 105.07 mg/100 g, and HCC-8 registered the highest anthocyanin content with 22.08 mg C3GE/100 g. The antioxidant capacities showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between genotypes, with a range of 43.22 to 110.39 µmol TE/100 g, 72.37 to 186.56 µmol TE/100 g, and 191.41 to 244.98 µmol TE/100 g for the tests of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power). The results of this research will be used to select habanero pepper genotypes that can be used in genetic improvement programs to increase the productive potential and the content of bioactive compounds in the fruits to expand their applications in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunistic pathogenic fungi arise in agricultural crops as well as in surrounding human daily life. The recent increase in antifungal-resistant strains has created the need for new effective antifungals, particularly those based on plant secondary metabolites, such as capsaicinoids and capsinoids produced by Capsicum species. The use of such natural compounds is well-aligned with the One Health approach, which tries to find an equilibrium among people, animals, and the environment. Considering this, the main objective of the present work is to review the antifungal potential of capsaicinoids and capsinoids, and to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of biofungicides based on these compounds. Overall, capsaicinoids and their analogues can be used to control pathogenic fungi growth in plant crops, as eco-friendly alternatives to pest management, and assist in the conservation and long-term storage of agrifood products. Their application in different stages of the agricultural and food production chains improves food safety, nutritional value, and overcomes antimicrobial resistance, with a lower associated risk to humans, animals, and the environment than that of synthetic fungicides and pesticides. Nevertheless, research on the effect of these compounds on bee-like beneficial insects and the development of new preservatives and packaging materials is still necessary.

Even though mulching is a well-known fact among cultivators they are seemingly unaware of its contribution to growth and yield of Ginger and its ability to cope with temperature and water stress. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the Intercropping and Betel Research Station, Narammala to investigate the effect of different mulching materials on growth, yield, quality parameters of Ginger and the soil parameters in the Low country intermediate zone (IL1) of Sri Lanka. The study was also extended to find out the best mulching material for Ginger under certain field conditions. The findings are expected to contribute to eliminate the uncertainty faced by farmers when selecting suitable mulch for Ginger. The mulches tested were straw, gliricidia leaves, coconut leaves, coir dust and polythene. A control treatment was used without the use of mulch. Experiment was carried out as a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Plant and soil parameters were measured at monthly intervals. All the treatments showed better performances than the control treatment which did not use mulch. The maximum number of sprouted plants was obtained in plots mulched with gliricidia. Further, the significantly highest plant height and number of pseudostems per clump were observed in gliricidia mulched plants. Fresh weight and dry weight of rhizomes too followed the similar pattern of measured growth parameters. Plots that did not used mulch recorded the lowest growth rate and yield of Ginger. Soil moisture conservation was significantly higher in the treatments with mulch than the control treatment. Polythene mulch was more effective for conserving of soil moisture than other mulches. However, all the soil parameters significantly contributed to the highest yield of Ginger in Gliricidia mulch treatment. The pungency level of Ginger was significantly higher in the control treatment. In this study gliricidia mulch positively contributed to increase the yield of Ginger (43.66% per hectare) more than the average yield denoted by DEA. Keeping the above facts in view, gliricidia proved to be the best mulch for Ginger cultivation in the low country intermediate zone (IL1) of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the results of this study will help the farmers to use the correct mulch to get significantly higher yield.

The Mediterranean diet, considered one of the healthiest in the world, is characterized in part by the major source of its fat, which is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Among the health benefits of consuming EVOOs is the presence of phenolic compounds, which have been shown to lower the incidence of coronary heart disease and are suspected of providing many other health benefits. These phenolic compounds also contribute to the flavor of EVOO, adding both specific pungency in the throat and bitter notes that are valued by connoisseurs but reported to be unpleasant by naïve consumers. Here, we demonstrate that some food-derived proteins, specifically from egg yolks and whey, when added to pungent and bitter EVOOs, reduce or even eliminate both the throat pungency and bitterness. The sensory loss is proportional to the food protein additions. Thus, when used in various foods recipes (e.g. mayonnaise), pungent and bitter EVOOs may lose their pungent and bitter characteristics thereby rendering them more palatable to many consumers. This sensory reduction might also indicate interaction between the proteins and the phenolic compounds, which, if confirmed, would raise the question of whether the bioactivities of EVOO phenolics remain unchanged when consumed with and without protein-containing foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chili peppers are rich in ascorbic acid and capsaicin. In this article is proposed an easy, fast, sensitive, and inexpensive method for determining the pungency and content of ascorbic acid in chili pepper extracts. The voltammetric (cyclic and differential pulse) behavior of capsaicin on a glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated at different pH values. A calibration curve has been obtained for the peak current, IP, of capsaicin as a function of the capsaicin concentration, C, in differential pulse voltammetry in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0: IP(µA) = 0.0147 (±5.346·10−3) + 0.0507 (±8.984·10−4) C(µM), with limit of detection, LOD = 0.198µM, limit of quantification, LOQ = 0.660µM, and dynamic linear range from 0.660 to 20.9 µM. A variant of the standard addition method has been used for simultaneous determination of the pungency and ascorbic acid content of extracts of Capsicum annuum cubana red. In this case, the calibration for ascorbic acid was I(µA) = 0.467 (±0.012) + 2.039·10−3 (±4.601·10−5) VAA(L)), with LOD = 17.56 µL, LOQ = 58.55 µL, and dynamic linear range from 58.6 to 500 µL, being VAA the volume of 10-mM ascorbic acid added to 50 mL of solution. The ascorbic acid content was compared to that of a sweet pepper. The method is cheap, simple, and fast (30 min vs c.a. 2 h compared to the spectrophotometric method), its sensitivity being comparable to other more expensive and/or more laborious methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Capsaicinoids are exclusive of the genus Capsicum and are responsible for fruit pungency. The genetic basis of pungency is not yet fully understood, although several candidate genes have been analyzed including the Pungent gene (Pun1). Objective: The main aim of this study was to identify the Pun1 in some pungent samples of Capsicum annuum of Northern Mexico adapted to conditions of high temperature and analyze the variability of polymorphisms in the gene. Methodology: The coding sequence of the Pun1 gene was analyzed by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length. Results: The Pun1 gene showed highly variable patterns; the variable regions were sequenced, and we found 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the first exon and 7 in the intron, some polymorphisms generated amino acid changes; while that of Chiltepin cultivar showed more than one sequence. Implications: The protein homology model suggests that these polymorphisms could affect their functionality. Conclusion: All the pungent cultivars of Mexican C. annuum analyzed were positive to Pun1 gene and have a high variety of polymorphisms, this study provides evidence of the high variability that exists in the Pun1 gene responsible for pungency and could allow the selection of pungent variants to obtain a greater quantity of capsaicinoids for different applications.

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A method named imprint paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (imprint-PSI-MS) has been developed and employed for the determination of pungency of peppers. A pepper fruit was cut into a triangular shape, deposited onto a triangular paper, and compressed by a homemade press tool aiming to imprint and transfer the pepper constituents onto the paper surface. Subsequently, the triangular paper was submitted to conventional PSI-MS analysis. Twelve peppers were analyzed, ranging from highly pungent to lowly pungent taste. Pepper pungency values from the Scoville scale (in Scoville heat units, SHU) were compared with the ion intensities of the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin compounds obtained from the imprint-PSI-MS analysis, and a correlation coefficient of 0.97 was achieved. In addition, the ion intensities of a sugar compound were monitored in all peppers, and the results were compared with the Scoville scale. Low sugar ion intensities were detected in pungent peppers, while high ion intensities were achieved in low-pungent peppers, suggesting that the pepper pungency may be determined by inversely relating pungency to sugar contents. This work demonstrates the utility of the imprint-PSI-MS method to perform rapid qualitative analyses of peppers and estimate the pungency by monitoring the pepper metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diplotaxis erucoides is a wild edible plant (WEP) of the Brassicaceae family, growing as a weed in Mediterranean countries. It contains glucosinolates, which are hydrolyzed by myrosinase rendering isothiocyanates; these compounds are responsible for its characteristic aroma and flavor, similar to that of mustard or wasabi. The aim of this study was to characterize the Diplotaxis erucoides plant by analyzing its volatile, sugar, organic acid, and sensory profiles. This information will be essential to decide whether it is possible to develop sustainable and healthy alternatives to commercial mustard and wasabi using this WEP. Two Diplotaxis-based products were prepared one cream and one mayonnaise. Allyl isothiocyanate represented more than 80% of total content of volatile compounds in the leaves, pods and stems. The sugar and organic acid content of Diplotaxis and its based products were very low. The Diplotaxis products were characterized by having intense Diplotaxis odor/aroma, herbaceous flavor and long aftertaste, but lacked some pungency. Diplotaxis erucoides is a sustainable and healthy option to produce herbaceous and pungent sauces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing interest in the sensory and healthy properties of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the topic of oil-food pairing is practically unexplored. This study systematically explores sensory effects on the flavor and harmony obtained by combining two ingredients (EVOOs and vegetables) and aims to provide practical indications for harmonic oil-vegetable combinations. The approach considered an optimal pairing of five EVOOs combined with five typical raw Italian vegetables characterized by different degrees of bitterness (Artichoke, Late Treviso radicchio, Chioggia radicchio, rocket, Early Treviso radicchio). An Index of Disharmony was computed for each pairing, using intensity ratings given by a trained panel that described EVOOs, vegetables and pairings. The results suggested a flavor congruency principle to enhance the oil-pairing harmony. EVOOs with intense green and bitter flavor maximise harmony when combined with very bitter or very pungent vegetables. EVOOs with moderate green flavor and bitterness seemed best paired with vegetables with low/intermediate bitterness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted during March, 2016 to March, 2017 in a baroj of experimental farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. Thirteen betel vine cultivars designated as PB 001 through PB 013 were collected from different locations of Bangladesh and found remarkable variations in vegetative growth, morphological features, yield and yield attributes. The betel vine cultivars varied in vine elongation (37.46 - 50.34 cm per month), increase in internode length (6.75 - 10.08 cm per month) and vine girth (0.445 - 0.747 cm per year). The leaf length (17.13-27.35 cm), leaf breadth (8.33 - 16.20 cm), petiole length (4.83 -11.45 cm) and petiole breadth (0.47 - 0.28 cm) remarkably varied among the cultivars. Fresh weight of 100-petiole, 100-leaves, and dry matter content were 50.07 - 165.74 g, 289.38 - 565.25 g and 12.57 - 14.49%, respectively in different cultivars. Leaf number per meter vine (9.46 - 15.38) and leaf number per plant per year (50.16 - 78.44) were also varied among the cultivars. The highest annual per hectare yield was obtained from BARI Pan-1 (23.82 t) and PB 006 (23.46 t). Variations were also existed among the cultivars in vine colour, leaf colour, leaf shape, leaf tip, leaf softness and pungency of leaf of cultivars. No pungency of leaf was found in cultivars PB 006 (Misti pan). So, PB 006 (Misti pan) was seemed to be a better cultivar/germplasm in respect of yield and quality of betel leaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, which was conducted as part of the Italian Taste project, was aimed at exploring the relationship between actual liking and sensory perception in four food models. Each food model was spiked with four levels of prototypical tastant (i.e., citric acid, sucrose, sodium chloride, capsaicin) to elicit a target sensation (TS) at an increasing perceived intensity. Participants (N = 2258; 59% women, aged 18–60) provided demographic information, a stated liking for 40 different foods/beverages, and their responsiveness to tastants in water. A food-specific Pearson’s coefficient was calculated individually to estimate the relationship between actual liking and TS responsiveness. Considering the relationship magnitude, consumers were grouped into four food-specific clusters, depending on whether they showed a strong negative (SNC), a weak negative (WNC), a weak positive (WPC), or a strong positive correlation (SPC). Overall, the degree of liking raised in parallel with sweetness responsiveness, fell as sourness and pungency perception increased, and showed an inverted U-shape relationship with saltiness. The SNC clusters generally perceived TSs at higher intensities, except for sourness. Clusters were validated by associating the level of stated liking towards food/beverages; however, some unexpected indications emerged: adding sugar to coffee or preferring spicy foods differentiated those presenting positive correlations from those showing negative correlations. Our findings constitute a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of food preferences.

Australia is a minor producer of chilli, with the industry producing around 2500 tonnes of chillies per year. Due to the small size of the industry, there is currently limited research on the typical levels of capsaicinoids in the Australian crop and the relationship between these constituents and other agronomic and nutritional factors. This study applied a rapid, maceration-based extraction protocol with end-over-end shaking, coupled with a HPLC-DAD method for the analysis of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in 20 Habanero chilli samples from Queensland, Australia. All samples were from the same growing season (2020) but were taken from different within-field locations to ensure that all of the variability within the growing site was sampled. In addition to the capsaicinoid measurements, the total phenolic content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, while antioxidant activity was measured using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. The capsaicin concentration of the samples ranged from 1474–3916 mg/kg, while the dihydrocapsaicin content ranged between 638–1757 mg/kg, giving total pungencies of approximately 32,000 to 83,000 Scoville Heat Units. Similarly, the total phenolic content varied from 1000–1608 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g, while the antioxidant activity ranged from 301 to 455 mg Trolox equivalents/100 g. Pearson linear correlation analysis revealed that the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents were strongly positively correlated with one another (R2 = 0.73; p < 0.001), with a mean capsaicin: dihydrocapsaicin ratio of 2.4:1. Furthermore, there was a moderate positive correlation between the total capsaicinoid content and total phenolic content of the samples (R2 = 0.58; p < 0.01), as well as a strong correlation between the total capsaicinoid content and FRAP (R2 = 0.81; p < 0.001). However, dry matter content was not significantly correlated with capsaicinoid content, total phenolic content or antioxidant activity (p > 0.05 for all). These results may be used to inform future breeding programs for high-capsaicin chilli varieties and support further research into the agronomic and genetic factors driving capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content.

The genetic improvement program of the Seed Technology Training and Development Center works on the agronomic characterization and the content of bioactive compounds in eight genotypes of habanero pepper. The objective is to select genotypes with good agronomic performance that allow the generation of inbred lines to obtain hybrids. In this study, the agronomic performance and the content of bioactive compounds (capsaicinoids, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity) were evaluated in eight genotypes of habanero pepper grown in the southeast of Coahuila, Mexico, identified as HNC-1, HNC-2, HNC-3, HNC-4, HNC-5, HNC-6, HNC-7, and HCC-8. The plants were grown in a greenhouse for 127 days, under a completely randomized design with four replications each. The results revealed that the yield (g·plant−1) and number of fruits per plant did not show significant differences between genotypes. However, for the fruit length, the genotypes HCC-8, HNC-7, HNC-6, and HNC-5 stood out with over 40 mm, while in equatorial diameter of the fruit, HCC-8, HNC-4, and HNC-2 stood out with 26.45, 26.46, and 25.12 mm, respectively. The results of the chemical analyses allowed us to identify that HNC-5 and HNC-6 had the highest capsaicin concentration (931.38 and 959.77 mg·kg−1), dihydrocapsaicin (434.95 and 445.89 mg·kg−1), Scoville Heat Units greater than 210,000, total phenols (67.54 and 71.15 mg/100 g) and total flavonoids (34.21 and 38.29 mg/100 g), respectively. The HNC-1 and HNC-6 genotypes had the highest carotenoids concentration with 103.96 and 105.07 mg/100 g, and HCC-8 registered the highest anthocyanin content with 22.08 mg C3GE/100 g. The antioxidant capacities showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between genotypes, with a range of 43.22 to 110.39 µmol TE/100 g, 72.37 to 186.56 µmol TE/100 g, and 191.41 to 244.98 µmol TE/100 g for the tests of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power). The results of this research will be used to select habanero pepper genotypes that can be used in genetic improvement programs to increase the productive potential and the content of bioactive compounds in the fruits to expand their applications in the food industry.

Pungency is a crucial sensory feature that influences consumers’ appreciation and preferences toward alcoholic beverages. However, the quantitation of pungency is challenging to achieve using sensory analysis because of persistence, accumulation, and desensitization to the pungency perception. This study aimed to design a novel pungency evaluation method based on the measurement of tongue surface temperature. An infrared thermal (IRT) imager technique for measuring tongue surface temperature was established. To validate its feasibility, the IRT technique was used to measure tongue surface temperatures after the tongue was stimulated by (1) water and Baijiu, (2) different concentrations of ethanol aqueous solution (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%, v/v), (3) ethanol aqueous solution and Baijiu samples with the same ethanol content, and (4) 26 Baijiu samples with different pungency level. For all cases, tongue surface temperatures showed large differences as a result of the different stimulation. The results showed that the tongue surface temperature correlated with the pungency intensity obtained by the sensory analysis. The relationship between tongue surface temperature and pungency intensity was established by multiple linear regression analysis. The IRT technique was able to be a useful support tool to quantitatively predict the pungency of alcoholic beverages, based on the measurement of tongue surface temperature.

The volatile fraction investigated by means of HS-SPME/GC–MS technique, the extractable color in terms of ASTA units, and the pungency measured on the Schoville scale of different experimental Capsicum annuum powders, designed for food industry, were evaluated in this study. In particular, six Capsicum annuum cultivars were included; fresh fruits were cultivated, harvested, dried and grinded to obtain different chilli powder samples that were analyzed and compared with an additional sample purchased from the market. Extractable color ranged between 36.9 ± 1.5 and 144.2 ± 0.8 ASTA units, while pungency was from 999 ± 42 to 47,814 ± 971 SHU units, showing an inverse trend between these two parameters. The volatile fraction of samples resulted to be composed of 64 volatiles belonging to different chemical classes among which terpenes and pyrazines were the most represented ones. The differences and similarities among the chilli pepper varieties were visualized by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as by Heat Map analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The beneficial effects of liquid humus applied to plants are well reported in the literature; however, studies of liquid humic application in the production and quality of garlic culture are practically nonexistent. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of foliar application of a liquid humic extract from vermicompost (HEVC) that is well characterized by solid-state 13C NMR on garlic production and fruit quality under field conditions. Methods: After 45 days in the field, garlic plants received foliar applications of HEVC at three different dilutions: 1:40, 1:60 and 1:80 (v:v). Humic substances (HS) in HEVC were characterized by 13C NMR CP/MAS spectroscopy. At 125 days after planting, the plants were collected, and growth and production parameters were determined: quantity of garlic cloves, fresh and dry bulb, diameter of garlic cloves and bulb, as well as parameters of fruit quality including caliber, firmness, acidity, brix, pungency, carbohydrate and protein contents. Results: The structure of HS in HEVC is composed mainly of carbohydrates and peptides as well as lignin fragments, explaining the stimulus effects on plant metabolism. The foliar application of HEVC improves the productive, commercial and internal quality parameters of fruits when compared to the control treatment. The HEVC foliar application in 1:40 v:v ratio was the most promising treatment in terms of increases in fruit quality indices, promoting improvements in bulb caliber, numbers of garlic cloves and internal fruit content. Conclusion: The foliar application of HEVC benefits garlic production and fruit quality. The use of HEVC can be a sustainable alternative within the small-scale garlic phytotechnology package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted at vegetable field of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening –College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad. The experiment was conducted using Randomized Complete Block Design within split plot arrangement with three replicates. The hybrids (white, yellow, red) represented the main plots, symbolized (HW, HY, HR) and the colored covers of the tunnels (without cover, transparent, red, yellow, blue) represented the sub plots, which symbolized (C0, CW, CR, CY, CB).The statistical analysis revealed significant differences of HR in producing the highest values of the studied traits, such as, leaves number (14.73), leaf area (24.79 dcm2), plant yield (190 gm.), chlorophyll concentration (9.733 mg.100-1gm f. w.). Also the results revealed the significant superiority of yellow cover, in leaves number (18.11), leaf area (29.63 dcm2), plant yield (222 gm.), chlorophyll concentration (10.44 mg.100-1gm f. w.), anthocyanin concentration (24.67 mg.100-1gm f. w.). The results that obtained from interaction between hybrids and covers were showed the significant predomination of HRCY in producing the highest numbers in the mentioned characters (18.33 leaves, 34.18 dcm2, 233.3 gm. 11.33 mg.100-1gm f. w.) respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Caatinga is the property of Revista Caatinga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunlus) essential oil was obtained from fresh leaves by hydrodistillation. The isolated essential oil was added to frankfurter type sausages at a concentration of 0.1% (v/w). Samples without the essential oil were used as control. The effects of the addition of the tarragon essential oil on the sensory properties, such as odor, color intensity, flavor, spiciness, hardness and overall acceptance of the sausages were evaluated using a hedonic scale and compared to the control. In addition to the hedonic test, a sensory triangle test was conducted. The CIE L*, a* and b* values of the samples were also measured. The addition of the essential oil did not cause any changes in the odor, color intensity, and hardness of the frankfurters. The spiciness of the frankfurter samples added with the essential oil was higher than the control. However, the flavor and overall acceptability of the control samples were higher compared to that of the essential oil containing samples. The difference between the treatments was also significant according to the triangle test. The addition of the tarragon essential oil did not cause any changes in the instrumentally measured color values of the sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pungency is a characteristic trait of pepper (Capsicum spp.). Two genes, Punl and pAMT, are known as determinative factors of pepper pungency. To date, it has been considered that most bell-type sweet peppers (called piman and paprika, in Japan) possess the identical mutated Punl allele, punl, whereas pAMT mutated non-pungent pepper has been found only in non-bell-type pepper. In this study, to reconsider the uniformity of the source of non-pungency in sweet bell pepper and explore new genetic resources, the presence of punl was investigated in 26 sweet bell pepper varieties. Among them, a seemingly common sweet bell pepper 'Color Piman Yellow' had the intact Punl, in spite of its non-pungency. Sequencing and linkage analyses revealed that 'Color Piman Yellow' possessed a novel mutated pAMT allele, pamt10, that has a nonsense substitution at the 11th exon responsible for non-pungency. This is the first pAMT mutant to be found in sweet bell pepper. The finding that there was a pAMT mutant in sweet bell pepper suggests the possibility that more pAMT mutants exist unconsciously in other sweet bell peppers. The discovery of a new factor of non-pungency contributes to expanding the genetic diversity of sweet pepper varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare disease caused by a mutation in the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, which results in an absence of Aδ and C fibers. It can be considered that this defect may also lead to deterioration of oral sensations. The aim of the present study was to clarify the ability of CIPA patients to perceive pungent, gustatory, and olfactory stimuli, which is essential for eating function, and the impact of the defect on dietary habits. Sensitivities to capsaicin and the five basic tastes were evaluated by measuring their threshold values, and dietary habits were examined using a questionnaire. Additionally, odor identification ability was evaluated using the odor stick method. The detection threshold for capsaicin and the recognition threshold for sour taste were significantly higher in the patients than in healthy volunteers. The questionnaire responses showed that the patients consumed spicy food more often. All patients were able to identify the tested odors, except those to which they had not been well accustomed. Since the abilities of CIPA patients to perceive taste and smell were not basically impaired, despite their lower sensitivity to capsaicin, it was suggested that their dietary habits were only minimally affected, except for intake of pungent foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated 29 F1 lines and the 11 genotypes of habanero peppers used in the crossbreeding program developed by the Scientific Research Center of Yucatan, México. A randomized complete block design with four repetitions was used. Eight plants of each of the genotypes were studied per block. A total of 22 qualitative and 18 quantitative descriptors established in the manuals of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the National Service for Seed Inspection and Certification (SNICS) was used. The multiple correspondence analysis of the qualitative traits explained 38.2% of the total variability. The trait that contributed the most to the qualitative variability identified was the presence of anthocyanins in the node. Principal component analysis showed that the first two axes explained 85.1% of the total variability and that capsaicin content and fruit pericarp thickness were the major contributors to the variation recorded. Based on these results, four F1 hybrids of habanero pepper were selected because of their promising traits for the different markets, i.e., high productive potential and/or high pungency. These traits are described in the section on Results.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is consumed and valued for the characteristic spicy aroma of its roots in many countries all over the world. In our present study we compare six different horseradish varieties that were grown under comparable conditions, with regard to their aroma profiles, using combined sensory-analytical methods. Horseradish extracts were analyzed through gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and their aroma-active compounds ranked according to their smell potency using the concept of aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Identification was carried out through comparison of retention indices, odor qualities and mass spectra with those of reference substances. Besides some differences in relative ratios, we observed some main odorants that were common to all varieties such as 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine and allyl isothiocyanate, but also characteristics for specific varieties such as higher contents for 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine in variety Nyehemes. Moreover, three odorous compounds were detected that have not been described in horseradish roots before.

Despite considerable research investigating the role of 6- n -propylthiouracil bitterness perception and variation of fungiform papillae density in food perception, this relationship remains controversial as well as the association between the 2 phenotypes. Data from 1119 subjects (38.6% male; 18–60 years) enrolled in the Italian Taste project were analyzed. Responsiveness to the bitterness of 6- n -propylthiouracil was assessed on the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Fungiform papillae density was determined from manual counting on digital images of the tongue. Solutions of tastes, astringent, and pungent sensations were prepared to be moderate/strong on a general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Four foods had tastants added to produce 4 variations in target sensations from weak to strong (pear juice: citric acid, sourness; chocolate pudding: sucrose, sweetness; bean purée: sodium chloride, saltiness; and tomato juice: capsaicin, pungency). Women gave ratings to 6- n -propylthiouracil and showed fungiform papillae density that was significantly higher than men. Both phenotype markers significantly decreased with age. No significant correlations were found between 6- n -propylthiouracil ratings and fungiform papillae density. Fungiform papillae density variation does not affect perceived intensity of solutions. Responsiveness to 6- n -propylthiouracil positively correlated to perceived intensity of most stimuli in solution. A significant effect of fungiform papillae density on perceived intensity of target sensation in foods was found in a few cases. Responsiveness to 6- n -propylthiouracil positively affected all taste intensities in subjects with low fungiform papillae density whereas there were no significant effects of 6- n -propylthiouracil in those with high fungiform papillae density. These data highlight a complex interplay between 6- n -propylthiouracil status and fungiform papillae density and the need of a critical reconsideration of their role in food perception and acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]