Abstract

BORGES-GOMEZ, Lizette et al. Capsaicinoids in habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) under various humidity and nutritional conditions. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.1, pp.35-41. ISSN 2395-8030.

Habanero chili pepper is the main commercially grown horticultural crop in the Yucatan peninsula. It is famous for its spicy pungent taste and has characteristics of commercial interest due to the high contents of capsaicinoids accumulated in the fruit. The contents of these substances are thought to vary under water or nutritional stress conditions. The objective of this work was to determine the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content in habanero chili peppers grown under different levels of soil moisture (100, 75, and 50%) and N, P₂O₅, K₂O nutritional levels (240-240-240, 120-120-120, and 0-0-0), as well as to evaluate the relationship of capsaicinoid content with fruit yield and quality. A fully randomized 3² array design with 3 replications was used. On average, the content of the alkaloids capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were 8.4 and 4.7 g kg^-1 fruit dry weight, respectively. There was no significant response to nutrition and moisture levels. The results showed a significant positive relationship between plant age and capsaicin content, but not dihydrocapsaicin. Fruit yield reflected a significant response to increments in nutrients or moisture, reaching an average of 1391 g fruit per plant, for the highest levels of nutrition and moisture. A significant relationship was found between capsaicin content and fruit yield classified as third-class, as well as between the dihydrocapsaicin content and the second-class fruit yield.

Keywords : capsaicin; dihydrocapsaicin; hydric stress.

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