Chemicals in spicy foods

[aj47]

Just a quick random question.

Is there a certain chemical or group of chemicals that are responsible for making food hot(spicy) and why does it stimulate pain receptors in our mouth when as far as i can see it cannot cause any damage to your body?

[AzurePhoenix]

capsaicin is one of the more common of the chemicals, at least in chilis (capsicum plants)and it may be an irritant aimed at dissuading potential plant murders, like your average deer or boar.

 

It's used in pepper spray too, an in large doses, actually can be lethally toxic. Ehhh, i'd try wikipedia for why, if rather wouldn't wait fro someone.

[aj47]

thanks, an interesting article on wikipedia ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin

[YT2095]

you may also want to take a look at this thread too, And the links in there for further reading

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9544&highlight=chili+calcium

 

highlighted in red should be the parts of main interest to you.

 

also this is only ONE type of "hotness/spicy" mustard oils are another (mustard, horseradish, wasabi, and may other types that contain it).

Ginger and Pepper corns are other types, each with their own oils will have differing effects, under the heading of "Hot"

[ecoli]

as always, I'll use any excuse to promote a SciAM frontiers episode.

 

Season nine, episode 4 - Life little questions http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript904.htm

 

you can also watch the show online http://pbs-saf.onstreammedia.com/cgi-bin/visearch?user=pbs-saf&template=template.html&query=Life%27s+Little+Questions+1999&category=0&viKeyword=Life%27s+Little+Questions+1999

 

Chiles are hot because they have a compound, or a set of compounds, called capsaicinoids that's found inside the fruit, along the placenta. And contrary to a lot of beliefs, the walls have no heat, the seeds don't have any heat, they're only in this one little area here - where this orange coloring is? - that is the capsaicinoids. So the more orange, the hotter the chile. We think in nature, the plant evolved this to keep mammals from eating the fruit, because when the seeds pass through a mammal's digestive tract, they're destroyed. And so - but birds can come along, pick the fruit off, eat it and then spread the seeds and put like a fertilizer pellet with it.

[aj47]

Aha thanks for the links YT and ecoli, it explains alot.

 

Although one question YT, some one said in the thread that capsaicin works by causing the release of calcium. I'm assuming that the calcium ions enter the synaptic cleft of the heat nerves and cause more action potentials to be sent to the pain sensory part of the brain?. If so why would this kill the cell or is there a different mechanism taking place.

 

And wait reading the thread i have yet another question, Do any of you know how salt and MSG work in enhancing flavours? Also is MSG in anyway connected to the neurotrasmitter glutamate?

 

Sorry for the over abundance of questions but I find this subject really interesting.

[YT2095]

Glider`s the best one to ask about the calcium ions and "pumps", as for the second part of your question, this link: http://www.truthinlabeling.org/

should provide all the info you need (and then some!)