ESTIMATION OF CAPSAICIN IN PHENYLALANINE AND VALINE TREATED CELL SUSPENSION CULTURES IN CAPSICUM ANNUUM AND CAPSICUM CHINENSE USING HPLC

Capsaicin content was estimated in phenylalanine & valine (0.01, 0.02, 0.03 %) treated cell suspension cultures derived from zygotic embryo (non-fruit tissue) using HPLC in 10 Capsicum genotypes. Maximum amount of capsaicin (20.1±0.3µM/g) was observed in C. chinense var. Kotpar, while in C. annuum var. special bullet produced maximum amount of Capsaicin (18.2±0.3µM/g), whereas minimum amount of capsaicin was found in C. annuum var. Badiga-1 (4.5±0.7µM/g). Another observation was that capsaicin was not detected both in precursor and non-precursor treated cell suspension cultures of C. annuum var. california wonder & yolo wonder.