capsaicin

capsaicin
/kap say"euh sin/, n.
a colorless, crystalline, bitter compound, C18H27NO3, present in capsicum.
[1885-90; earlier capsicine, equiv. to CAPSIC(UM) + -INE2; refashioned with capsa- ( < L: box) for caps- and -IN2 for -INE2]

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also spelled  Capsaicine,  

      the most abundant of the pungent principles of the red pepper (Capsicum). It is an organic nitrogen compound belonging to the lipid group, but it is often erroneously classed among the alkaloids, a family of nitrogenous compounds with marked physiological effects.

      The name capsaicin was applied to a colourless, crystalline substance first isolated from capsicum oleoresin in 1876 and considered a single compound until about 1960. During the 1960s the natural product was found to contain small amounts of other compounds very similar to the one for which the name capsaicin had become established.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Capsaicin — Cap*sa i*cin, n. [From {Capsicum}.] (Chem.) A colorless crystalline substance extracted from the {Capsicum annuum}, and giving off vapors of intense acridity. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • capsaicin — from CAPSICUM (Cf. capsicum), from which it is extracted + chemical suffixes …   Etymology dictionary

  • capsaicin — [kap sā′ə sin] n. [L capsa, box (see CASE2) + IC + IN1] an alkaloid, C18H27NO3, with a burning taste, extracted from capsicum …   English World dictionary

  • Capsaicin — Chembox new ImageFile1 = Capsaicin chemical structure.png ImageSize1 = 250px ImageFile2 = Capsaicin 3D vdW.png ImageSize2 = 250px IUPACName = 8 Methyl N vanillyl trans 6 nonenamide OtherNames = (E) N (4 Hydroxy 3 methoxybenzyl) 8 methylnon 6… …   Wikipedia

  • Capsaicin — Strukturformel Allgemeines Freiname Capsaicin …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Capsaicin — Cap|sa|i|cin [nlat. Capsicum annuum = Paprika (Bot.); ↑ in (3)], das; s: scharf schmeckende, farblose Verb., Smp. 65 °C, die als Hyperämikum u. zur Reizkörpertherapie benutzt wird. * * * Capsa|icin   [zu lateinisch capsa »Kapsel«] das, s,… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • capsaicin — noun Etymology: irregular from New Latin Capsicum Date: circa 1890 a colorless irritant phenolic amide C18H27NO3 found in various capsicums that gives hot peppers their hotness and that is used in topical creams for its analgesic properties …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • capsaicin — (= 8 methyl N vanillyl 6 nonenamide) Molecule in chilli peppers that makes them hot and will stimulate release of neurogenic peptides (Substance P, neurokinins) from sensory neurons. Acts on the vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1). Can be used to… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • capsaicin — noun A chemical compound found in chilli peppers, which is responsible for their pungent flavor …   Wiktionary

  • capsaicin — Alkaloidal principle in the fruits of various species of Capsicum, with the same uses as capsicum. It depletes substance P from sensory nerve endings; Sometimes used for pain in postherpetic neuralgia. * * * cap·sa·icin kap sā ə sən n a colorless …   Medical dictionary

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