The vanillotoxin-containing venom of a certain tarantula species ( Psalmopoeus cambridgei, also known as the Trinidad chevron tarantula) activates the same pathway of pain as is activated by capsaicin, an example of a shared pathway in both plant and animal anti-mammalian defense. The fungal pathogen Fusarium, which is known to infect wild chilies and thereby reduce seed viability, is deterred by capsaicin, which thus limits this form of predispersal seed mortality. There is also evidence that capsaicin may have evolved as an anti-fungal agent. Thus, natural selection may have led to increasing capsaicin production because it makes the plant less likely to be eaten by animals that do not help it disperse. This is advantageous to the plant, as chili pepper seeds consumed by birds pass through the digestive tract and can germinate later, whereas mammals have molar teeth which destroy such seeds and prevent them from germinating. mammalian TRPV1 show functional diversity and selective sensitivity). In birds, the TRPV1 channel does not respond to capsaicin or related chemicals (avian vs. The seeds of Capsicum plants are dispersed predominantly by birds. The seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith of the inner wall, where the seeds are attached. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, highly pungent, crystalline to waxy solid compound.Ĭapsaicin is present in large quantities in the placental tissue (which holds the seeds), the internal membranes and, to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruits of plants in the genus Capsicum. Capsaicin and several related alkaloids are called capsaicinoids and are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain mammals and fungi. It is a chemical irritant and neurotoxin for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin ( 8-methyl- N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( / k æ p ˈ s eɪ s ɪ n/ or / k æ p ˈ s eɪ ə s ɪ n/) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum.
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