Metabolic shifts during fruit development in pungent and non-pungent peppers. (1st May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodrigues-Salvador, Acácio; Lana-Costa, Jaciara; Omena-Garcia, Rebeca Patrícia; Batista-Silva, Willian; Scossa, Federico; Rosado-Souza, Laise; Pérez-Díaz, Jorge Luis; Menezes-Silva, Paulo Eduardo; DaMatta, Fábio M.; Sulpice, Ronan; Araújo, Wagner L.; Zsögön, Agustin; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 375(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05-01
• Subjects: Capsicum chinense -- Placenta -- Pericarp -- Metabolism -- Capsaicin; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131850
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: Placenta's capsaicin is connected with fluctuation in metabolism during fruit ripening. Metabolite levels in both placenta and pericarp are uniformly stable across accessions during fruit development. Accumulation of capsaicinoids in placenta tissues do not largely affect the levels of primary metabolites. Abstract: Fruit pungency is caused by the accumulation of capsaicinoids, secondary metabolites whose relation to primary metabolism remains unclear. We have selected ten geographically diverse accessions of Capsicum chinense Jacq with different pungency levels. A detailed metabolic profile was conducted in the fruit placenta and pericarp at 20, 45, and 60 days after anthesis aiming at increasing our understanding of the metabolic changes in these tissues across fruit development and their potential connection to capsaicin metabolism. Overall, despite the variation in fruit pungency among the ten accessions, the composition and metabolite levels in both placenta and pericarp were uniformly stable across accessions. Most of the metabolite variability occurred between the fruit developmental stages rather than among the accessions. Interestingly, different metabolite adjustments in the placenta were observed among pungent and non-pungent accessions, which seem to be related to differences in the genetic background. Furthermore, we observed high coordination between metabolites and capsaicin production in C. chinense fruits, suggesting that pungency in placenta is adjusted with primary metabolism.