Chili pepper

In Mexico and Northern Latin America, chili pepper has its center of diversity. It was spread around the world, where it is now commonly cultivated as a spice and medicine.

Cabe (Indonesia), Chiao-tzu (Chinese), Paprika (Dutch), Piment annuel (French), Cayennepfeffer (German), Molar (India), Banshō (Japanese), and Cili (Malaysia).

They prefer a temperature about 21-25 °C, not growing well if temperatures is above 32 °C. Plants generally require constant warm weather if they are to perform well. An annual rainfall of 600-1,200 mm is considered to be sufficient. Excessive precipitation can decrease flowering and fruit setting, as well as promote diseases.

• Roots - a short or deep tap root.
• Stems - glabrescent and densely branched.
• Leaves - with a complete margin are ovate, oblong-ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 4-13 cm by 1.5-4 cm.
• Flowers - small, white or purple-tinted.
• Fruits - most of them are red, but they can be green, orange, yellow and up to 15 cm tall.
• Seeds - color are pale yellow, discoid or reniform and 3 to 5 mm.

• By seeds - the seed usually germinates in 3-4 weeks at 20 °C. Plant out into permanent positions when about 8-10 cm tall.
• By cuttings - rooting of cuttings was possible in a wide range of cultivars of sweet peppers, even if they were from mature plants that branched repeatedly. Medium sized shoots with a terminal internode shorter than 2 cm and the second internode longer than 4 cm, cut at the bottom of the second internode, rooted and grew most vigorously.

Capsaicin, dihidrocapsaicin, flavonoids, caroten, capsarubin, zeasanthin, criptosantin, phenolic (lutein, capsaicinoids, quercetin), alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins.

• Internally, it is used to treat the cold stage of fevers, convalescent or old age fatigue, varicose veins, asthma and digestive problems.
• It is used externally to treat sprains, unbroken chills, neuralgia, pleurisy, arthritis, lumbago.
• Effective to reduce sea-sickness.
• The fruits are used to enhance gastric tasks and improve blood circulation. It is also a carminative stimulant and is used locally for neuralgia, rheumatism, antihaemorrhoidal, antiseptic, diaphoretic, irritant, rubefacient, sialagogue.
• It has been approved for painful muscle spasms in the areas of the back, arm and spine.
• Childbirth-related uterine pain is treated with broth containing berries. The leaves are used to treat toothache.
• In Peninsular Malaysia, the root has been recorded as a decoction for treating gonorrhoea.

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