Pigment Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fruit Color in Pepper

Abstract

Pepper, as a vegetable crop with a wide cultivation area worldwide, besides being a significant condiment and food, also has a momentous use for chemistry, medicine, and other industries. Pepper fruits are rich in various pigments, such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and capsanthin, which have important healthcare and economic value. Since various pigments are continuously metabolized during the development of pepper fruits, peppers exhibit an abundant fruit-colored phenotype in both the mature and immature periods. In recent years, great progress has been made in the study of pepper fruit color development, but the developmental mechanisms are still unclear systematically dissected in terms of pigment, biosynthesis, and regulatory genes. The article outlines the biosynthetic pathways of three important pigments: chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and carotenoid in pepper and the various enzymes involved in these pathways. The genetics and molecular regulation mechanisms of different fruit colors in immature and mature peppers were also systematically described. The objective of this review is to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of pigments biosynthesis in pepper. This information will provide theoretical basis for the breeding of high-quality colored pepper varieties in the future.

Characterization of Diverse Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Germplasms Based on Agro-Morphological Traits and Phytochemical Contents

“…Among the quality-determining traits of pepper fruits, fruit color is the most crucial since pigments are associated with flavor, nutritional, and health-promoting properties [18]. Pepper fruits mature in diverse colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, and brown [19].…”

Anthocyanins from pomegranate peel (Punica granatum), chili pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum), and bougainvillea flowers (Bougainvillea spectabilis) with multiple biofunctions: Antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer

“…Rich color of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) is mainly based on anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. Purple pepper is rich in anthocyanins and chlorophyll when fruit is mature [ 3 ]. Bougainvillea is a genus of colourful flowering plants within Nyctaginaceae family, containing considerable anthocyanins [ 4 ].…”

Phenolic Compounds and Capsaicinoids in Three Capsicum annuum Varieties: From Analytical Characterization to In Silico Hypotheses on Biological Activity

“…The cultivated area covers 3.7 million hectares with a total production of about 41 million tons (FAOSTAT 2021) [2]. A tremendous wealth of genetic variation in fruit size and shape [3], colour [4] and flavour [5][6][7][8] is known within the Capsicum species. Today, pepper fruits are used for different purposes as fresh, dehydrated or processed vegetables and spices in medicine, pest and animal control and even in law enforcement, giving this crop immense cultural and economic importance [9].…”