Cayenne Pepper

By: Sheena Villagomez

Table of Contents

Introduction

Cayenne Pepper is made from the dried pods of pungent chili peppers. Cayenne Peppers were grown for thousands of years in the West Indies and Central and South America. Spanish explorers looking for black pepper misnamed them as pepper, and introduced them to the rest of the world. One of Columbus’ passengers, de Cuneo, wrote how the Native Americans ate pepperlike fruit “like we eat apples.”

Other Names

Other Names: African chili, chili, hot pepper, Louisiana long pepper or sport pepper, paprika, red chili, spur pepper, tabasco pepper [SITE http://stjohn.org/HealthInfoLib/swArticle.aspx?19,Cayenne>

Botanical Names for Cayenne: Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens, C. minimum. Family: Solanaceae

Origins

The cayenne pepper is grown largely in India, East Africa, Mexico and the United States, in fact most tropical and sub-tropical regions.


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HOT HOT HOT

What makes any pepper soo spicy? It is Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide). Capsaicinoids, are responsible for the burning sensation and other effects caused by chili peppers (genus Capsicum). Capsaicin acts directly on the same pain receptors that detect potentially damaging heat. A chemical analysis method, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), can now determine the concentration of total capsaicinoids [1].

Systematic Names for Capsaicin

(E)-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylnon-6-enamide

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Uses

Peppers contain moderate to high levels of neutral phenolics or flavonoids. Phytochemicals that are important antioxidant components of a plant-based diet, other than traditional nutrients, that may reduce the risk of degenerative diseases. Flavonoids have properties of antioxidant activity based on the number and location of hydroxyl groups. Many epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse association between dietary intake of flavonoids and the risk of coronary heart disease [2]. Peppers also contain high levels of antioxidative vitamin C and carotenoids. Interest in capsaicinoids arises from the fact that some of them exhibit strong pungent sensory properties when consumed as part of the diet. [3]

  • Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Shingles and other painful skin conditions
  • Pain from Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Low back pain
  • Toothache
    • [5]
Synthesis of Capsaicin

Based on the molecular structure of capsaicin, the enzymatic and pungent properties were investigated. Which was based on modification of the length of the acyl chain (from C4 to C16) and the chemical substituents of the aromatic ring (–OH and –OCH3).The syntheses were carried out in 2-methyl-2-butanol with lipase B of Candida antarctica, with conversions ranging from 83% to 97.5%. The initial reaction rates were not significantly influenced by the nature of acyl-donor but rather by the substituents in the aromatic ring of the evaluated amines. Conclusion: Two analogues were found pungent; the vanillylamides of caprylic (C-8) and capric (C-10) acids, showing a relative pungency of 66% and 36%, respectively, while the vanillylamides of caproic (C-6) and lauric (C-12) acids had a very low relative pungency (2.1% and 1.2%, respectively).  The results explain the structure of capsaicin.[6]

References

[1]  Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Capsaicinoids from  http://mutex.gmu.edu:2314/wls/journals/query/subscriberResults.html 

[2]Changes in Phytochemical and Antioxidant Activity of Selected Pepper Cultivars (Capsicum Species) As Influenced by Maturity from  http://mutex.gmu.edu:2314/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2000/48/i05/abs/jf990916t.html

[3]Analysis of Eight Capsaicinoids in Peppers and Pepper-Containing Foods by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry from http://mutex.gmu.edu:2314/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2005/53/i23/abs/jf050469j.html

[4] PLANTS Profile for Capsicum annuum var. annuum (cayenne pepper) from http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CAANA4&mode=Print

[5]Cayenne from [6]Capsaicin formation in p - fluorophenylalanine resistant and normal Jul 2004 from http://www.ias.ac.in/jbiosci/september1998/JB3g.pdf