Recursos genéticos de pimentas Capsicum e a sua multiplicidade de usos

Abstract

Genetic resources are source of variation for desirable and necessary traits for plant breeding. However, to estimate the diversity among the accessions, it is necessary that they are characterized and evaluated. This source of variability are in the accessions of genebanks and in landraces cultivated by farmers, peoples and traditional communities. Therefore, this thesis has the general objective of proceed chemical and morphological characterization of accessions from the Capsicum Genebank of Embrapa Clima Temperado, and analyzing the cultural role in the conservation and uses of peppers. The results are in three articles. The first article, entitled Genetic variability of bioactive compounds in Capsicum chinense, brings the evaluation of 19 accessions from Capsicum Genebank of Embrapa Clima Temperado in relation to the concentration of total phenolic compounds, total carotenoids, total anthocyanins and antioxidant activity. It was possible to observe significant genetic variability between accessions, with a higher concentration of phenolic compounds in one accession, high concentrations of total carotenoids in three of them, higher concentration of total anthocyanins in one accession and the highest antioxidant activity in six accessions. Furthermore, it was possible to verify that there is a correlation between antioxidant activity and the content of phenolic compounds and between antioxidant activity and carotenoids in C. chinense. In the second article, the pre-breeding of a segregating accession of pepper (Capsicum annuum) comprised the ornamental characterization of F1 and F2 generations. For that, 67 F1 plants and 62 F2 plants were evaluated according to 16 morphological descriptors. It was possible to observe the variability in the F1 and F2 populations, with segregation for almost all evaluated variables, except for the flower pose and immature fruit color variables. This shows their potential use by breeding programs for ornamental purposes. The third article, El papel cultural, religious y medicinal de los ajíes (Capsicum spp.) in Brazil, links knowledges about the different forms of conservation and uses of genetic resources. It brings a survey of the uses of peppers in cooking, traditional medicine and also in religious rites, making a parallel with the origin of these uses through traditional peoples, especially indigenous and Afro descendants. In this work, it was possible to verify that there is a great diversity of uses of peppers in Brazil, varying according to the geographic region and consequently with the culture, the inhabitants of these places and its descendants. Recipes, medicinal and religious uses are incorporated into the Brazilian people culture and, consequently, in conservation of these genetic resources