Abstract

SANCHEZ-SANCHEZ, Hermilo et al. Inheritance of capsaicinoids in manzano hot chili pepper (Capsicum pubescens R. and P.). Agrociencia [online]. 2010, vol.44, n.6, pp.655-665. ISSN 2521-9766.

Capsaicinoids are alkaloids that are important for human health, as food and pharmaceuticals, and are produced only by plants of the genus Capsicum. This study analyzes the inheritance of the content of the three main capsaicinoids that cause the burning sensation (pungency) (nordihydro-, dihydro- and capsaicin) in 25 genetic materials of manzano hot pepper (Capsicum pubescens R. and P.), that include five populations (Huatusco, Zongolica, Tacámbaro, Puebla and Perú) plus their 20 possible inter-population F1 crosses. The diallel analysis with the Griffing Method I permitted us to determine the effects of general and specific combining ability effects (GCA and SCA) as well as maternal effects (ME). A completely randomized design was used with three replications. Only in nordihydrocapsaicin there were significant effects of GCA, while SCA was significant for the three capsaicinoids evaluated. The crosses Puebla×Tacámbaro, Tacámbaro×Perú, and Huatusco×Zongolica were outstanding for their high SCA and for having the most pungent fruits. Positive ME on pungency was detected, accounting for 45% of the variation in total capsaicinoids due to the genetic materials. The Zongolica and Perú populations possess ME in the three alkaloids, while the Puebla population has ME only in dihydrocapsaicin and capsaicin. In contrast, in the progenitors Tacámbaro and Huatusco negative ME are predominant. The analysis of the results suggests that fruit pungency of the manzano chili materials used in this study is regulated mainly by dominant genes, more than by additive effect genes, and that extra-nuclear genes also have a significant influence, a result that had not been previously reported.

Keywords : Capsicum pubescens; capsaicinoids; maternal effects.