Description
Capsaicin is an agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels that was originally found in peppers of the Capsicum genus. Capsaicin exhibits analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anticancer chemotherapeutic activity. Capsaicin also displays bronchoconstrictive activity and is used as a natural irritant. In vivo, this compound desensitizes TRPV1 channels, inhibiting thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia. In other animal models, capsaicin inhibits adipogenesis, decreases metabolic dysregulation, activates PPARα, and suppresses weight gain and fat deposition. Capsaicin also induces apoptosis via ROS and disruption of the mitochondrial membrane and inhibits tumor growth in cellular and animal models of prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This mixture contains capsaicin, ≥65%, dihydrocapsaicin, ~20%, and nordihydrocapsaicin, ~4 %.