vanilloids

The vanilloids are compounds which possess a vanillyl group. They include vanillyl alcohol, vanillin, vanillic acid, acetovanillon, vanillylmandelic acid, homovanillic acid, capsaicin, etc. Isomers are the isovanilloids. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- | 115px|Structure of vanillyl alcohol || 120px|Structure of Vanillin || 120px|Structure of vanillic acid || 120px|Structure of acetovanillon || 120px|Structure of vanillylamine || 300px|Structure of Capsaicin |- | vanillyl alcohol || vanillin || vanillic acid || acetovanillon || Vanillylamine || Capsaicin |}

A number of vanilloids, most notably capsaicin, bind to the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor, an ion channel which naturally responds to noxious stimuli such as high temperatures and acidic pH. This action is responsible for the burning sensation experienced after eating spicy peppers. Endogenously generated chemicals that trigger the TRPV1 channel of the vanilloids class are referred to as endovanilloids including anandamide, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) and N-oleoyl-dopamine ().