Quantification of capsaicin content and pungency variations across Dalle Khursani accessions, a polyploid capsicum landrace from the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas, India
Tulsi Saran Ghimiray*1, Biswajit Majumdar2 and Sourav Man2
1Regional Research Station (Hill Zone), Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalimpong-734301, WB, India. 2Central Instrumentation Centre and Quality Control Laboratory, F/ Agriculture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari-736165, WB, India. 3Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, F/ Agriculture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari-736165, WB, India. Corresponding e-mail: tulsi@ubkv.ac.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2025.v27i02.43
Key words: Dalle Khursani, polyploid capsicum, capsaicin content, pungency, HPLC
Abstract: Dalle Khursani, a unique landrace of Capsicum sp specific to the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya in India, is highly valued for its pungency. The present study evaluated the capsaicin content and pungency levels of seven accessions collected from diverse altitudinal locations. The concentration of capsaicin varied between 19.05 mg/g to 28.54 mg/g, with corresponding Scoville Heat Units (SHU) ranging from 304,863 to 456,636. The results indicated the presence of significant variations for pungency within the accessions of Dalle Khursani, which may be attributed to genetic factors with the micro-climatic factors, soil composition and water availability contributing to pungency. This study fills critical research gaps with the first quantitative evaluation of capsaicin content and pungency and identified accessions such as DK-02 and DK-03 as superior in capsaicin content, making them potential candidates for further selection and genetic improvement.
