Capsicum Extract

Botanical Information

Other Common Names are Capsicum, tabasco, hot pepper, chili, chili pepper, spur pepper.

The capsicum herb is a tender, variable annual. It has a branched stem and a leaf-shaped much like a lance. It grows a bell-shaped white or green flower, which appears during the spring and summer months.

After it flowers, its hollow and elongated fruit appears – the fruit is often referred to as a pod. When ripened, the fruit is normally a bright and shining fiery red, but can also be orange, yellow or green. The cayenne pepper itself is made from the dried pods of the plant. The fruit or pod of the plant is used for both culinary and medical purposes.

The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl-n-vanillyl nonenamide), a lipophilic chemical that can produce a burning sensation (pungency or spiciness) in the mouth of the eater. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are unaffected.[30][31] The secretion of capsaicin protects the fruit from consumption by insects and mammals, while the bright colors attract birds that will disperse the seeds.

Chili peppers are of great importance in the medicine of Indigenous peoples, and capsaicin is used in modern medicine mainly in topical medications as a circulatory stimulant and analgesic. In more recent times, an aerosol extract of capsaicin, usually known as capsicum or pepper spray, has become used by law enforcement as a nonlethal means of incapacitating a person, and in a more widely dispersed form for riot control, or by individuals for personal defense. Pepper in vegetable oils, or as an horticultural product can be used in gardening as a natural insecticide.

Although black pepper causes a similar burning sensation, it is caused by a different substance—piperine.