What Are The Chemical Components Of Capsaicin Pepper?

Capsaicin is the common name for the chemical compound, 8-methyl-n-vanillyl-6 nonemide, which is primarily responsible for putting the zing of heat in hot peppers. The genus Capisicum includes peppers both hot and sweet, depending on the degree of burn-inducing capsaicin found within the plant's fruit. The chemical components of capsaicin peppers also include a wealth of healthful nutrients.

Capsaicin Chemistry

Capsaicin is a vanilloid -- one of a set of molecules that share a related structure, but with differences that cause drastic deviations in how they taste in food. These foods include vanilla; eugenol, which flavors bay leaves and cloves; and zingerone, which flavors mustard oil and ginger, according to Frostburg State University's General Chemistry Online. When capsaicin touches your skin, it causes a release of the chemical called substance P, reports the New York University Langone Medical Center. Substance P is normally a bodily response to injury, so your nerves wrongly assume that damage has occurred, triggering the sensation of burning. Over time, the release of substance P diminishes, and you can build up a tolerance to eating or applying hot peppers. That initial sting is not diminished by a glass of water, however, as capsaicin is insoluble in water.

Health Effects

Because its use over time diminishes the painful sensation caused by the release of substance P, capsaicin is often in topical pain relieving creams, reports Langone Medical Center. Capsaicin is powerful enough to drive prostate cancer cells to apoptosis, or cell death, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Apoptosis is the normal method by which healthy cells die off to make way for new cells. Cancer cells run toward rampant growth by circumventing the genes that trigger cell death, but capsaicin interfered with the mechanisms by which cancer cells block apoptosis indicators. A similar dramatic effect happened against colon cancer cells in a study published in the fall 2004 "Journal of Medicinal Foods." Consuming hot peppers can also block joint pain and diminish inflammation, according to the Northwest University Medill Reports.

Non-Medical Uses

The chemistry that gives humans a burning sensation upon touching or eating capsaicin peppers also applies to other living creatures. Capsaicin is a registered pesticide used as an insecticide, rodenticide, and miticide, as well as to repel rodents, deer and other nuisance animals from homes and gardens, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. Ancient Mayans used gourds full of capsaicin pepper extract at their enemies in battle in an early mode of chemical warfare, reports Frostburg University. Modern versions of the Mayan's weapons are now in the pocket arsenals of law enforcement and civilians looking to thwart roving dogs or human attackers. High concentrations of capsaicin can be lethal, Frostburg University warns.

Other Nutrients

Capsaicin is not the only nutrient found in hot peppers. One fresh hot pepper can provide a full day's nutritional requirement of antioxidant vitamins A and C, according to the University of Illinois Extension. Peppers also include notable amounts of calcium, potassium and fiber, and are low in calories. Ripe red peppers, either hot or sweet, contain more nutrient value than do green, unripe peppers. Capsaicin peppers are also at their hottest in this ripe, red state.