Of pungency, pain, and naked mole rats: chili peppers revisited

摘要

Capsaicinoids are unique to the chili pepper genus Capsicum within the plant family Solanaceae. The family is also known for species that produce powerful alkaloids such as nicotine (tobacco) and atropine (Atropa). This is the same family to which tomatoes, potatoes, and aubergines belong. Members of this family have a diversity of fruit types ranging from dry dehiscent capsules to fleshy drupes and berries. Botanically speaking, chili peppers are berries (Knapp 2002) and capsaicinoids are synthesized mostly, if not exclusively, in the interlocular septum that separates seeds in the fruit (Stewart et al. 2007).