Increased capsaicin content in PFP-resistant cells of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Cell suspensions of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were subjected to a selection process on semisolid medium containing the amino acid analog p-fluorophenylalanine (PFP). Four cell lines with different degrees of resistance were selected and suspension cultures were established from each of them. Resistance was retained even after 75 days of culture in the absence of PFP. PFP-resistant cell lines accumu lated higher levels of capsaicin than sensitive lines even after prolonged culture in PFP-free medium. Capsaicin production in non-selected cells was only 26.8% of that found in one cell line resistant to 500 μM PFP. The capsaicin content in the non-selected cell suspension and in one of the resis tant cell lines was 6.7% and 24.9% respectively, that of fruits.