Chemical quality of berries from black pepper varieties grafted on Piper colubrinum

Abstract

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a major spice used in food and medicine and the raw material for extracting volatile oil, oleoresin and piperine. Phytophthora foot rot is the major disease affecting pepper plant killing the entire vine. P. colubrinum Link, a related species is unaffected by this fungi. Grafting P.nigrum on P.colubrinum is one approach to safeguard the pepper from this disease. Using P.colubrinum as rootstock chemical qualities of pepper berries of important pepper varities were evaluated, since volatile oil, oleoresin and piperine contribute towards its aroma, taste and pungency. The study included the components of the essential oil such as pinene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, terpinene-4-ol, α-terpineol and β-caryophyllene also. Grafting has not influenced the chemical quality of berries