Capsaicinoids from different ecotypes of chili peppers from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Keywords:
Capsaicin, ecotype, horticulture, tropical agriculture, Scoville scaleAbstract
Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) are the second most consumed vegetable worldwide, valued for their characteristic pungency and nutritional contributions. The Yucatan Peninsula harbors significant diversity of chili varieties, with different capsaicinoid contents depending on the ecotype. Ripe fruits of each ecotype were harvested for capsaicinoid analysis using 20 g fresh samples in duplicate in 2016 and 2023. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin quantification was performed using a calibration curve built with standard capsaicin (1 to 19 mg L⁻¹). Results showed variation between and within ecotypes for each year, highlighting the effect of genotype and genotype-by-environment interaction. In 2016, the most pungent chilies were the traditional habanero (9.95 mg g⁻¹ of DW), green chili (2.64 mg g⁻¹ of DW), and Pico Paloma chili (2.20 mg g⁻¹ DW). In 2023, the outstanding ecotypes were Kunun’ik, Habanero Rosita, and Yaax’ik with 14.82, 13.41, and 12.92 mg g-1 DW, respectively.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Crescencio de la Cruz Castillo-Aguilar, Enrique Sauri-Duch, Emilio Piña-Betancourt, Ricardo Antonio Chiquini-Mdina, San German Bautista-Parra, David Julián Palma-Cancino
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