Medical research

Possible new way to reduce pain inspired by chickens

Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered a possible new way to treat pain without the use of opioids. By targeting a specific area of a well-known pain receptor, they were able to reduce pain sensitivity in mice without ...

Oncology & Cancer

Pepper and halt: Spicy chemical may inhibit gut tumors

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that dietary capsaicin – the active ingredient in chili peppers – produces chronic activation of a receptor on cells lining the intestines ...

Cardiology

Hot pepper compound could help hearts

The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists today reported the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect ...

Medications

The unsuspected virtues of hot pepper

It adds punch, heat, personality. It injects flavor, color, aroma. It goes by many names—habanero, cayenne, jalapeño, poblano, bird's eye—but hot pepper by any name always gets a reaction.

page 1 from 3

Capsaicin

Capsaicin ( /kæpˈseɪ.ɨsɪn/; 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide, (CH3)2CHCH=CH(CH2)4CONHCH2C6H3-4-(OH)-3-(OCH3) ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain herbivores and fungi. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, crystalline to waxy compound.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA