CHANGES IN CAPSAICIN, FLAVONOID, FREE PHENOLICS AND ENZYME ACTIVITY DURING DEVELOPMENT OF PEPPER FRUIT

Changes in capsaicin, flavonoid, free phenolic content, PAL, CS and POD activities during development of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit were studied as were the relativities between capsaicin, flavonoid and free phenolic content.
During fruit development, capsaicin content increased and reached a maximum at day 50 after flowering, but decreased after that.
Maximal levels of free phenolics and flavonoids were observed during the early stage of development, afterwards their contents decreased with fruit ripening.
From 22 to 60 d after flowering, PAL activity increased rapidly during 29-36 d after flowering reaching a peak at day 36 after flowering, then fell.
CS activity remained at very low values during the first 15 d after flowering, then increased, and followed by a sharp increase to attain a maximum in both in placenta and pericarp at day 36 after flowering, before decreasing during the later developmental stages.
The POD activity decreased with fruit development, but the activity increased during 50-60 d after flowering.

XXVII International Horticultural Congress – IHC2006: International Symposium on The Role of Postharvest Technology in the Globalisation of Horticulture

Zhang Zhen, Liu Shi-qi, Qi Lian-dong, Xu Li

hot pepper, capsaicin, flavonoid, free phenolics, enzyme activities

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.768.70