2006 Volume 18 Issue 1 Pages 75-82
Summary: Pungency in Capsicum fruits is due to the accumulation of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin . Capsicumchinense cv. Habanero is the most pungent peppers in the world. Capsaicinoids are accumulated in Habanero at least10times higher levels than in C. annuum cv. Takanotsume. This variation in capsaicinoid content might result fromdifference in biosynthesis activity, number of biosynthesis cells, or both. We estimated capsaicinoid biosynthesis activityas capsaicinoid content per tissue volume which biosynthesize capsaicinoids. In-situ hybridization analysis of keto acylsynthase(Kas)demonstrated that capsaicinoids were synthesized in the epidermal cells on the placental dissepiment . Then, the total surface area of the placental dissepiment was calculated by3-dimentional images of Capsicum fruits. Biosynthesis activity of capsaicinoids per surface area of the placental dissepiment was calculated in three types of Capsicum fruits. Biosynthesis activity was almost same levels. Difference in pungency would result from the amount of cells which synthesized capsaicinoids.