title: Capsaicinoids in vegetative organs of Capsicum annuum L. in relation to fruiting.
abstract: Pepper (cv. Padrón) shows a spatial gradient in the content of phenolic compounds, and particularly of capsaicinoids, along the stem. These compounds were consistently more abundant in apical fruits than in fruits belonging to middle and basal segments. Analysis of the two principal capsaicinoids in fruits showed that the proportion of capsaicin was always higher than that of dihydrocapsaicin. Capsaicinoids were also found to be present in vegetative organs, such as stem and leaves. In this case, the proportion of individual capsaicinoids was different than that in fruits, and dihydrocapsaicin was found to be more abundant. To find out whether the capsaicinoids in vegetative organs came from the fruits, the floral buds were removed and fruit formation was prevented. Capsaicinoids were not detected in the stem and leaves of floral bud-deprived plants, suggesting that they did originate from the fruit.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioloxía Animal, Bioloxía Vexetal e Ecoloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Zapateira s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pomar
authors.forename: Fuencisla
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Merino
mesh_terms: D002211:Capsaicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D002211:Capsaicin