Conventional Propagation and Micropropagation of Capsaicin-Containing Plants

Capsaicin is a secondary metabolite with various medicinal properties, which is high in demand in the pharmaceutical industry. This compound is mainly derived from the genus Capsicum L., which belongs to the family Solanaceae. The genus Capsicum comprises of economically important vegetable crops around the world and are cultivated for their ornamental values too. Natural propagation of some species of this genus is restricted due to the short duration of viability and low seed germination rate. Moreover, some seeds are highly prone to fungal and viral pathogen attack. The natural propagation of chilli by vegetative means is limited, so to conserve genetic purity, it is very important to use techniques like micropropagation. The plants are recalcitrant toward in vitro propagation and genetic transformation efforts, even though there are various attempts to improve the propagation. Micropropagation of Capsicum is an alternative mode of rapid propagation of elite clones to meet the high demand from agriculture industry. This chapter consolidates the information available on both conventional and in vitro propagation of capsaicin containing plants.