Inheritance of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, determined by HPLC-ESI/MS, in an intraspecific cross of Capsicum annuum L.

The quantitative inheritance of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents in fruits has been studied in an intraspecific cross of Capsicum annuum L. across two different environments, namely, fruits developed in spring and summer. A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry [HPLC-ESI/MS(TOF)] method was used to identify and quantify capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in extracts of pepper fruits. The analytical method used was able to determine the pungency of genotypes that, using other methods, would have been classified as non-pungent. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents varied largely among families, and families did not respond similarly in producing these capsaicinoids when their fruits were grown in spring and summer, with some families showing no increase, whereas in others, the increase was more than 2-fold. Heterosis for the pungency trait, assessed by the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents in fruits, was found, indicating the existence of epistasis, over-dominance, or dominance complementation. Non-pungent parent alleles contributed to the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents since transgressive segregation did occur. Furthermore, the type of gene action varied between capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, and a seasonal effect during fruit development could affect gene action.