Λεξικό .. Capsaicin

Substance which is present in paprika and chili pepper. Capsicum and paprika are generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food. Capsicum fruit, a popular spice as chili pepper, is an important ingredient of the formulations used in traditional medicines. Moreover, Capsicum fruit is listed as an official drug in several pharmacopoeias. Capsaicin functions as an external analgesic, a fragrance ingredient, and as a skin-conditioning agent--miscellaneous in cosmetic products, but is not in current use.

Capsaicin is not generally recognized as safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fever blister and cold sore treatment, but is considered to be safe and effective as an external analgesic counterirritant. Capsaicin, the most abundant component in Capsicum fruit, exhibits its therapeutic and adverse effects in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, the known capsaicin content is the prerequisite for optimizing any formulation based on Capsicum fruit as a crude drug[1].Various topical treatments such as topical lidocaine, topically applied capsaicin in high concentrations (8%), and botulinum toxin have recently been shown to have a pain-relieving effect in various peripheral neuropathic pain conditions [2]. It may induce broncoconstriction in some spice-factory workers.  (See Pepper, sweet; chili peppers).

Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the a principal pungent ingredient of hot red and chili peppers that belong to the plant genus Capsicum (Solanaceae). Capsaicin is a cancer-suppressing agent. It blocks the translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), activator protein 1 (AP-1), and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) signaling pathway that are required for carcinogenesis. The anti-inflammatory potential of capsaicin is attributed to its inhibitory effect on inducible COX-2 mRNA expression. Cytochrome P4502E1 mediates the activation of xenobiotics such as vinyl carbamate and dimethyl nitrosamine to their toxic metabolites. This metabolic activation of xenobiotics by Cytochrome P4502E1 has been shown to be inhibited by capsaicin. Capsaicin also generates reactive oxygen species in cells with resultant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, which is beneficial for cancer chemoprevention. Therefore, the use of capsaicin as a chemopreventive agent is of immense benefit for cancer chemoprevention[3].

References

1. Jensen TS, Madsen CS, Finnerup NB. Pharmacology and treatment of neuropathic pains. Curr Opin Neurol. 2009 Sep 8. 

2. Thapa B, Skalko-Basnet N, Takano A, Masuda K, Basnet P. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of capsaicin content in 16 Capsicum fruits from Nepal. J Med Food. 2009 Aug;12(4):908-13.

3. Oyagbemi AA, Saba AB, Azeez OI. Capsaicin: a novel chemopreventive molecule and its underlying molecular mechanisms of action. Indian J Cancer. 2010 Jan-Mar;47(1):53-8.