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Capsaicin in Capsicum The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl-n-vanillyl nonenamide), a lipophilic chemical that can produce a strong burning sensation (pungency or spiciness) in the mouth of the unaccustomed eater. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are unaffected.[7][8] The secretion of capsaicin protects the fruit from consumption by insects[9] and mammals, while the bright colours attract birds that will disperse the seeds.
Capsicum C
apsicum (also known as peppers) is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. In modern times, it is cultivated worldwide, and has become a key element in many regional cuisines. In addition to use as spices and food vegetables, Capsicum species have also found use in medicines.
place and type. The piquant (spicy) varieties are commonly called chili peppers, or simply "chillies". The large, mild form is called red pepper, green pepper, or bell pepper in North America and United Kingdom and typically just "capsicum" in New Zealand,[4] Australia, Singapore and India. The fruit is called paprika in some other countries (although paprika can also refer to the powdered spice made from various capsicum fruit).
The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on
The generic name is derived from the Greek word κάπτω (kapto),
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meaning "to bite" or "to swallow". [5] The name "pepper" came into use because of their similar flavour to the condiment black pepper, Piper nigrum, although there is no botanical relationship with this plant, or with the Sichuan pepper. The original term, chilli (now chile in Mexico) came from the Nahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a larger Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC, as evidenced by remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oaxaca.
Capsaicin is present in large quantities in the placental tissue (which holds the seeds), the internal membranes, and to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruits of plants in this genus. The seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith around the seeds.[10] The amount of capsaicin in the fruit is highly variable and dependent on genetics and environment, giving almost all types of Capsicum varied amounts of perceived heat. The most recognizable Capsicum without capsaicin is the bell pepper,[11] a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, which has a zero rating on the Scoville scale. The lack of capsaicin in
bell peppers is due to a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin and, consequently, the "hot" taste usually associated with the rest of the Capsicum family.[12] There are also other peppers without capsaicin, mostly within the Capsicum annuum species, such as the cultivars Giant Marconi,[13] Yummy Sweets,[14] Jimmy Nardello,[15] and Italian Frying peppers. Cuisine Capsicum fruits and peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. Those used in cooking are generally varieties of the C. annuum and C. frutescens species, though a few others are used, as well. They are suitable for stuffing with fillings such as cheese, meat, or rice. They are also frequently used both chopped and raw in salads, or cooked in stir-fries
or other mixed dishes. They can be sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces, of which they are often a main ingredient. They can be preserved in the form of a jam,[18] or by drying, pickling, or freezing. Dried peppers may be reconstituted whole, or processed into flakes or powders. Pickled or marinated peppers are frequently added to sandwiches or salads. Frozen peppers are used in stews, soups, and salsas. Extracts can be made and incorporated into hot sauces. Species and varieties Capsicum consists of 20–27 species,[23] five of which are domesticated: C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens. [24] Phylogenetic relationships between species were investigated using biogeographical,[25] morphological,[26] chemosystematic,[27] hybridization,[28] and genetic[23] data. Fruits of Capsicum can vary tremendously in color, shape, and size both between and within species, which has led to confusion over the relationships between taxa.[29] Chemosystematic studies helped distinguish the difference between
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varieties and species. For example, C. baccatum var. baccatum had the same flavonoids as C. baccatum var. pendulum, which led researchers to believe the two groups belonged to the same species.
Species list 1.
Capsicum annuum L.
2. Capsicum baccatum L. 3. Capsicum buforum Hunz. 4. Capsicum campylopodium Sendtn. 5. Capsicum cardenasii Heiser & P. G. Sm. 6. Capsicum ceratocalyx M.Nee 7. Capsicum chacoense Hunz. 8. Capsicum chinense Jacq. 9. Capsicum coccineum (Rusby) Hunz. 10. Capsicum cornutum (Hiern) Hunz. 11. Capsicum dimorphum (Miers) Kuntze 12. Capsicum dusenii Bitter 13. Capsicum eximium Hunz. 14. Capsicum flexuosum Sendtn. 15. Capsicum friburgense Bianch. & Barboza 16. Capsicum frutescens L. 17. Capsicum galapagoense Hunz. 18. Capsicum geminifolium (Dammer) Hunz. 19. Capsicum havanense Kunth 20. Capsicum hookerianum (Miers) Kuntze 21. Capsicum hunzikerianum Barboza & Bianch. 22. Capsicum lanceolatum (Greenm.) C.V.Morton & Standl.
23. Capsicum leptopodum (Dunal) Kuntze 24. Capsicum lycianthoides Bitter 25. Capsicum minutiflorum (Rusby) Hunz. 26. Capsicum mirabile Mart. ex Sendtn. 27. Capsicum mositicum Toledo 28. Capsicum parvifolium Sendtn. 29. Capsicum pereirae Barboza & Bianch. 30. Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav. 31. Capsicum ramosissimum Witasek 32. Capsicum recurvatum Witasek 33. Capsicum rhomboideum (Dunal) Kuntze 34. Capsicum schottianum Sendtn. 35. Capsicum scolnikianum Hunz. 36. Capsicum spina-alba (Dunal) Kuntze 37. Capsicum stramoniifolium (Kunth) Standl. 38. Capsicum tovarii Eshbaugh et al. 39. Capsicum villosum Sendtn. 40. Formerly placed here 41. Tubocapsicum anomalum (Franch. & Sav.) Makino (as C. anomalum Franch. & Sav.) 42. Vassobia fasciculata (Miers) Hunz. (as C. grandiflorum Kuntze) 43. Witheringia stramoniifolia Kunth (as C. stramoniifolium (Kunth) Kuntze)
Many varieties of the same species can be used in many different ways; for example, C. annuum includes the "bell pepper" variety, which is sold in both its immature green state and its red, yellow, or orange ripe state. This same species has other varieties, as well, such as the Anaheim chiles often used for stuffing, the dried ancho chile used to make chili powder, the mild-tohot jalape単o, and the smoked, ripe jalape単o, known as chipotle. Most of the capsaicin in a pungent (hot) pepper is concentrated in blisters on the epidermis of the interior ribs (septa) that divide the chambers of the fruit to which the seeds are attached.[30] A study on capsaicin production in fruits of C. chinense showed that capsaicinoids are produced only in the epidermal cells of the interlocular septa of pungent fruits, that blister formation only occurs as a result of capsaicinoid accumulation, and that pungency and blister formation are controlled by a single locus, Pun1, for which there exist at least two recessive alleles that result in nonpungency of C. chinense fruits.[31]
Synonyms and common names The name given to the Capsicum fruits varies between Englishspeaking countries. In Australia, New Zealand, and India, heatless varieties are called "capsicums", while hot ones are called "chilli"/"chillies" (double L). Pepperoncini are also known as "sweet capsicum". The term "bell peppers" is almost never used, although C. annuum and other varieties which have a bell shape and are fairly hot, are often called "bell chillies". Genetics Most Capsicum species are 2n=24. A few of the nondomesticated species are 2n=32.
The amount of capsaicin in hot peppers varies significantly between varieties, and is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). The world's current hottest known pepper as rated in SHU is the 'Carolina Reaper' which had been measured at over 2,200,000 SHU. Breeding Several breeding programs are being conducted by corporations and universities. New Mexico State University has released several varieties in the last few years. Cornell has worked to develop regionally adapted varieties. Many types of peppers have been bred for heat, size, and yield. GRAS Only Capsicum frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L. are in the GRAS.
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