Nutraceutical properties in Jalapeño pepper biostimulated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria

Abstract

The use of biofertilizers formulated with Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) represents a sustainable and viable option for optimizing the growth and yield of jalapeño pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The objective of this work was to evaluate two AMF consortia and two PGPR on the growth and yield of jalapeño pepper grown in a greenhouse. A completely randomized experiment was established with five treatments and ten replicates: AMF1 (Claroideoglomus claroideum, C. etunicatum, Glomus postulatum, and Diversispora spurca), AMF2 (C. etunicatum, C. claroideum, and G. postulatum), AC35 (Serratia liquefaciens), and PC35 (Serratia plymuthica), compared to a control. The variables measured were height, leaf area, fruit weight and size, flavonoids, phenols, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, total protein, and capsaicin. The results indicated that jalapeño pepper growth (height and leaf area) and fruit size (length, diameter, and width) were better in the treatments with AMF1 and AMF2. The amount of flavonoids (225.8 mg QE per 100 g of fruit) and antioxidant capacity (69 mEq Trolox per 100 g of fruit) were higher when the plants were inoculated with AMF2; total protein (0.025 mg g-1) was higher with AMF1. Plants inoculated with the rhizobacteria AC35 and PC35 showed outstanding total phenols (473.8 mg GAE per 100 g of fruit) and capsaicin (0.60 mg g-1), respectively. Biofertilizers are sustainable and viable alternatives for improving growth and nutraceutical properties in jalapeño pepper cultivation.