Effects of local environmental factors on the spiciness of habanero chili peppers (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) by coulometric electronic tongue

This work investigates the effects of local environmental factors on the spiciness of Habanero chili peppers (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) by a coulometric electronic tongue. Chili fruits grown in red soil showed significantly higher spiciness (8.4 ± 1.9 mg g−1, expressed as mg of capsaicin per g of fresh fruit), than the one observed for fruits grown in brown (6.9 ± 2.5 mg g−1) and black (6.3 ± 1.7 mg g−1) soils. Moreover, the spiciness of the chili fruits increased when fruits ripened from green (6.4 ± 1.9 mg g−1) to orange (8.0 ± 2.2 mg g−1). In addition, subsequent harvesting cycles performed on the same plants stimulate the production of new fruits with higher spiciness level, especially on green fruits. Furthermore, this work will extend, from one side, the knowledge of coulometric electronic tongues as fast, comprehensive, and easy-to-handle alternative to estimate the taste of spicy foods in large-scale industrial experiments. On the other side, this work will also extend the knowledge on the effect of local environmental factors on the expression of capsaicinoids in Habanero chili.