Abstract
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 were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). None of the parameters tested were significantly different between the control or treatment groups, but the following trends were found in the data. Plants at the two highest salinities had higher levels of capsaicin compared to the control and lowest salinity group (0.160 vs. 0.132 mg capsaicin/g dry fruit, respectively). Fluorometry readings of photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) demonstrated that at 0.0 and 0.5% NaCl plants had a more optimal ratio (0.70) compared to plants treated with 1.0 and 1.5% NaCl (0.63). Total plant biomass did not decrease with increased salinity. However, a root:shoot analysis demonstrated that plants grown in 1.5% NaCl allocated a higher proportion of their photosynthate to root production (0.796) compared to the control plants grown at 0.0% NaCl (0.691). At the highest salinity level plants doubled their fruit production and allocated more of their photosynthate towards sexual reproduction as opposed to vegetative growth. Because of the consistent (although non-significant) trends in the parameters measured, a biological response to increased salinity suggests a true biological response. Therefore, further investigations with higher levels of salt stress or longer growing periods may lead to statistically significant changes in morphometric data and capsaicin production.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
No measured parameter differed significantly among salinity groups.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuumt0 - Treatment
- treatment groupse0
- Outcome
- parameters testede0
- Direction
- Nonee0
- Comparator
- the controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“None of the parameters tested were significantly different between the control or treatment groups”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
Capsaicin levels tended higher at the two highest salinities than in control and lowest-salinity plants.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- the two highest salinitiese0
- Outcome
- levels of capsaicine0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.160e0
- Qualifier
- 0.132 mg capsaicin/g dry fruite0
- Comparator
- the control and lowest salinity groupe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plants at the two highest salinities had higher levels of capsaicin compared to the control and lowest salinity group (0.160 vs. 0.132 mg capsaicin/g dry fruit, respectively).”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic efficiency was higher at 0.0 and 0.5% NaCl than at 1.0 and 1.5% NaCl.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- 1.0 and 1.5% NaCle0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm)e1
- Direction
- more optimale0
- Value
- 0.63e0
- Qualifier
- 0.70e0
- Comparator
- 0.0 and 0.5% NaCle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at 0.0 and 0.5% NaCl plants had a more optimal ratio (0.70) compared to plants treated with 1.0 and 1.5% NaCl (0.63).”
e1“Fluorometry readings of photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm)”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
Total biomass did not decline with greater salinity.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- increased salinitye0
- Outcome
- Total plant biomasse0
- Direction
- did not decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total plant biomass did not decrease with increased salinity.”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
Plants at 1.5% NaCl allocated a greater root proportion than control plants.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- 1.5% NaCle0
- Outcome
- proportion of their photosynthate to root productione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.796e0
- Qualifier
- 0.691e0
- Comparator
- 0.0% NaCle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants grown in 1.5% NaCl allocated a higher proportion of their photosynthate to root production (0.796) compared to the control plants grown at 0.0% NaCl (0.691).”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
At highest salinity, plants doubled fruit production.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- the highest salinity levele0
- Outcome
- fruit productione0
- Direction
- doublede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At the highest salinity level plants doubled their fruit production”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
Claim · model-written summary
At highest salinity, plants allocated more photosynthate to sexual reproduction than vegetative growth.
- Taxon
- Capsicum annuumCapsicum annuumt0
- Treatment
- the highest salinity levele0
- Outcome
- photosynthate towards sexual reproductione0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- vegetative growthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At the highest salinity level plants doubled their fruit production and allocated more of their photosynthate towards sexual reproduction as opposed to vegetative growth.”
t0“Capsicum annuum”
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