Researching how pepper grows

How do plants make those pungent substances, anyway? The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) is working intensively on this topic. Recently, a group of scientists led by Dr. Thomas Vogt have pinpointed the crucial ...

Why some like it hot: The science of spiciness

Spiciness, or its perception, occurs in most cuisines worldwide. The chili pepper of the genus Capsicum (family Solanaceae) is one of the world's most widely used spices, found in thousands of recipes and sometimes eaten ...

Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is

Some people love spicy food—the hotter, the better. Others go out of their way to avoid the palate-singeing burn of capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick. Now, researchers have developed a portable ...

Milk: Best drink to reduce burn from chili peppers

People who order their Buffalo wings especially spicy and sometimes find them to be too "hot," should choose milk to reduce the burn, according to Penn State researchers, who also suggest it does not matter if it is whole ...

Video: Why it hurts to eat hot peppers

You have probably had the burning sensation of eating a jalapeno or other tear-inducing pepper. What causes this painful fire in your mouth? The short answer is capsaicin. But what exactly is capsaicin? How does it work? ...

Researchers uncover pain-relief secrets in hot chili peppers

Anyone who has ever bitten unknowingly into a red hot chili pepper remembers the unhappy result – burning, painful sensations that make one's mouth feel as though it has caught on fire. Yet the very chemical that causes ...

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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.

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