Capsaicinoids are pungent compounds used for industrial and medical purposes including food, medicine and cosmetics. The Indian local variety ‘Bhut Jolokia’ (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is one of the world's hottest chilli peppers. It produces more than one million Scoville heat units (SHUs) in total capsaicinoids. In this study, our goal was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for the high content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in ‘Bhut Jolokia’. Capsicum annuum ‘NB1’, a Korean pepper inbred line containing 14 000 SHUs, was used as a maternal line. An F2 population derived by crossing between ‘NB1’ and ‘Bhut Jolokia’ was generated to map QTLs for capsaicinoids content. A total of 234 markers, including 201 HRM, 21 SSR, 2 CAPS and 10 gene‐based markers of the capsaicinoid synthesis pathway, were mapped. The final map covered a total distance of 1175.2 cM and contained 12 linkage groups corresponding to the basic chromosome number of chilli pepper. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content were analysed in 175 F2 pepper fruits using the HPLC method. The maximum total capsaicinoids content was 1389 mg per 100g DW (dry weight), and the minimum content was 11 mg per 100g DW. Two QTLs (qcap3.1 and qcap6.1) for capsaicin content were identified on LG3 and LG6, and two QTLs (qhdc2.1 and qdhc2.2) for dihydrocapsaicin content were located on LG2. We did not detect QTLs for total capsaicinoids content. The QTL positions for capsaicin content were different from those for dihydrocapsaicin content. These results indicate that the complexity of selecting for more pungent chilli peppers must be considered in a chilli pepper breeding programme. The QTL‐linked markers identified here will be helpful to develop more pungent pepper varieties from ‘Bhut Jolokia’, a very hot pepper.

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The pungency is one of major traits determining the quality of pepper. Analysis of pungency is a cumbersome and time consuming work. To improve the efficiency of pungency analysis, a simple and rapid method was newly developed using 0.1N NaOH and 0.2% 2,6-dichloroquinone chlorimide solutions. This method was designated as a spraying method. Total capsaicinoids could be detected on both a fruit without a part of pericarp and a copying paper blotted with fruit section by spraying with above solutions in 5 minutes. Detection limit of the method was 40 ppm of capsaicinoids. On optical observation, this method could evaluate the presence of capsaicinoids, appropriate amount, and distribution of capsaicinoids in pepper fruits. The spraying method seems to be very useful for a practical breeding of high pungent pepper varieties.

Abstract. In this study, we aimed to develop a simple analysis method for measuring the carotenoids content of pepper powder. A 96-wells polystyrene microplate and an ELISA reader were used for analysis. Although ELISA reader with 450 nm filter was applicable to measure carotenoid contents, the surface of microplates were degenerated by acetone used for carotenoids extraction. However, ten-folded dilute of the color extract with methanol did not affect the surface of polystyrene microplate and components of the color extract could be successfully measured by a ELISA reader, showing a high corelation with ASTA-20.1 method. In addition, this method uses 10 fold less acetone than ASTA-20.1 method resulting less acetone waste. The microplate method using ELISA reader has potential power for analyzing a large number of samples which may be very useful to the practical breeding program for high-colored peppers.