MACRO TUNNELS COVERINGS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE NUTRACEUTICAL PROPERTIES OF “CHILE DE AGUA”

Abstract

The “Chile de agua” is an endemic vegetable of the central valleys of Oaxaca, but despite its importance in the economic and human nutrition field, its bioactive compounds has been poorly studied. The objective of this research was to determine the content of bioactive compounds into the fruit of the “Chile de agua” (Capsicum annuum L.), grown under macro tunnels with different cover materials. Seedlings of the “Ejutla” genotype were planted in soil with plastic mulch and fertigation under macro tunnels using transparent and green plastic covers, and white mesh. Each cover corresponded to a treatment, and the open-air cultivation was the control. The response variables were grouped into a) climatic: temperature, relative humidity and Integrated Photosynthetically Active Radiation (IPAR); b) bioactive compounds: total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity. The daytime and nighttime temperatures and relative humidity under green plastic cover increased 28.0, 6.7 and 0.5 % with respect to the control. The IPAR in open-air cultivation exceeded the cover materials by 28.3 %. The green plastic significantly increased the concentration of total phenols and antioxidant capacity by 489.1 and 39.0 % with respect to the control. The concentration of total flavonoids of the fruits grown in open-air cultivation was greater than at least 47 % to the cover materials evaluated. The phenols concentration of “Chile de agua” fruits and their antioxidant capacity increased when they are grown in macro tunnels with green plastic covers.