Research Article: Effects of salt stress on capsaicin content, growth, and fluorescence in a Jalapeño cultivar ofCapsicum annuum(Solanaceae)

Summary

Although there are many different species of pepper plants (Capsicum spp.), all are from the New World tropics, and landraces such as Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum cv. Jalapeño) have been selected for optimum performance in response to local abiotic and biotic stresses. Pepper plants produce the phenolic compound capsaicin, primarily in the placenta of fruits, possibly to deter mammalian herbivores in favor of avian frugivores. Capsaicin content is influenced by genetic and environmental conditions including soil moisture and fertility, temperature, and light. In order to explore the relationship between abiotic stress and fruit capsaicin content, Jalapeño pepper plants were grown from seed, and then treated with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% NaCl solution. Capsaicin extracts from Jalapeño fruits we