capsaicin
Sign in to saveCapsaicin ('8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide') (, commonly ) is a toxin that is the main active component of chili peppers and gives them their distinct pungent, "spicy" or "hot" taste. It is a potent irritant for mammals for which it produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related amides (capsaicinoids) are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, likely as deterrents against eating by mammals and against the growth of fungi. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, highly pungent (i.e., spicy) crystalline solid.
Key facts
- Pepper <! The given scoville rating is for the pure chemical compound, this should not be mistaken for food. >.heat
- Above peak
- Pepper <! The given scoville rating is for the pure chemical compound, this should not be mistaken for food. >.scoville
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Article
27 sectionsContents
- Natural function
- Uses
- Food
- Research
- Pepper spray and pests
- Equestrian sports
- Irritant effects
- Acute health effects
- Treatment after exposure
- Weight loss and regain
- Peptic ulcer
- Death
- Mechanism of action
- History
- Capsaicinoids
- Biosynthesis
- History
- Biosynthetic pathway
- Evolution
- Antifungal properties
- Insecticidal properties
- Seed dispersion and deterrents against granivorous mammals
- Adaptation to varying moisture levels
- References
- Notes
- Further reading
- External links
Capsaicin ('8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide') (, commonly ) is a toxin that is the main active component of chili peppers and gives them their distinct pungent, "spicy" or "hot" taste. It is a potent irritant for mammals for which it produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related amides (capsaicinoids) are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, likely as deterrents against eating by mammals and against the growth of fungi. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, highly pungent (i.e., spicy) crystalline solid.
== Natural function == Capsaicin is present in large quantities in the placental tissue (which holds the seeds), the internal membranes and, to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruits of plants in the genus Capsicum. The seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith of the inner wall, where the seeds are attached.