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| Capsaicin is a chemical compound that gives chili peppers their spicy flavor and heat. Biological activity, capsaicin has been reported to exhibit a range of effects, including: Pain relief: 10-50 μM Anti-inflammatory activity: 20-50 μM Antioxidant activity: 10-100 μM Anti-cancer activity: 50-100 μM Cardiovascular health: 20-50 μM Approximate μM concentrations of capsaicin, the active compound in chili peppers, that can be achieved with different amounts of chili peppers: 1 teaspoon of dried chili pepper flakes (5g):~10-50 μM of capsaicin 1 tablespoon of dried chili pepper flakes (15g): ~30-150 μM of capsaicin 1 cup of fresh chili peppers (100g): ~100-500 μM of capsaicin 1 teaspoon of chili pepper extract (5g): ~100-500 μM of capsaicin 1 tablespoon of chili pepper extract (15g): ~300-1500 μM of capsaicin Approximate μM concentrations of capsaicin in various foods that contain capsaicin: Jalapeño peppers: 1 pepper (20g): ~20-100 μM of capsaicin 2–8 mg/100g of fresh Jalapeño Serrano peppers: 1 pepper (10g): ~10-50 μM of capsaicin 5–15 mg/100g Cayenne peppers: 1 pepper (10g): ~50-200 μM of capsaicin Habanero peppers: 1 pepper (20g): ~100-500 μM of capsaicin 15–30 mg/100g Ghost peppers: 1 pepper (20g): ~200-1000 μM of capsaicin Hot sauce: 1 teaspoon (5g): ~10-50 μM of capsaicin Chili flakes: 1 teaspoon (5g): ~10-50 μM of capsaicin Spicy sauces and marinades: 1 tablespoon (15g): ~10-50 μM of capsaicin Cayenne Pepper Powder – Approximate capsaicin content: roughly 5–20 mg/g (15-30g human for 100uM?) -IC50 in Cancer Cell Lines: Approximately 50–300 µM (consume 150mg of capsaican not possible?) -IC50 in Normal Cell Lines: Generally higher—often 2–3 times greater Pathways: -disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to cytochrome c release and subsequent activation of caspases -Activation of TRPV1: resulting in increased intracellular calcium levels -capsaicin can lead to increased production of ROS within cancer cells -Inhibition of NF-κB -Inhibit PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling -STAT3 Inhibition -Cell Cycle Arrest -reduce the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -COX-2 -capsaicin is a natural ADAM10 activator and shows potential to attenuate amyloid pathology and protect against AD Capsaicin — capsaicin is a pungent vanilloid alkaloid phytochemical from Capsicum peppers and the principal TRPV1 agonist responsible for chili heat. It is best classified as a natural product / small-molecule vanilloid with approved topical analgesic use but no established anticancer indication. Standard abbreviations include CAP and CAPS. In cancer literature it is a pleiotropic stressor whose dominant preclinical effects usually converge on Ca2+ influx, mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS generation, suppression of pro-survival signaling, and apoptosis, but its biology is context- and concentration-dependent, with occasional low-dose pro-migratory / pro-metastatic signaling reported. Primary mechanisms (ranked):
Bioavailability / PK relevance: Capsaicin is lipophilic, rapidly absorbed, and rapidly metabolized, with substantial first-pass limitation after oral exposure. Human oral PK from a capsicum preparation containing 26.6 mg capsaicin produced a Cmax of about 2.47 ng/mL at ~47 minutes, while the FDA-approved 8% topical system produced transient systemic exposure usually below 5 ng/mL, with a highest detected plasma level of 4.6 ng/mL. Delivery is therefore a major translation constraint for anticancer use, and formulation-based approaches are often invoked to overcome short half-life, irritancy, and exposure limits. In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: This is a major limitation. Many anticancer cell studies use roughly 10–300 µM, whereas reported human plasma exposures from oral or approved topical use are in the low ng/mL range, approximately ~0.008–0.015 µM, i.e., orders of magnitude lower than many cytotoxic in-vitro concentrations. Accordingly, direct systemic tumoricidal translation from standard dietary or approved topical exposure is weak unless local delivery, sustained-release systems, or substantially altered formulations are used. Clinical evidence status: Anticancer evidence is predominantly preclinical, with in-vitro and some in-vivo support across several tumor types. There is no regulatory approval for cancer treatment. Human oncology use is currently much more credible as supportive care for neuropathic pain, especially chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, where topical high-concentration capsaicin patches are being studied and used off-label / investigationally, rather than as a direct antitumor therapy. Mechanistic Table
P: 0–30 min R: 30 min–3 hr G: >3 hr |
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| Destruction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, which is widely regarded as one of the earliest events in the process of cell apoptosis. Mitochondria are organelles within eukaryotic cells that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy molecule used by the cell. For this reason, the mitochondrion is sometimes referred to as “the powerhouse of the cell”. Mitochondria produce ATP through process of cellular respiration—specifically, aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen. The citric acid cycle, or Krebs cycle, takes place in the mitochondria. The mitochondrial membrane potential is widely used in assessing mitochondrial function as it relates to the mitochondrial capacity of ATP generation by oxidative phosphorylation. The mitochondrial membrane potential is a reliable indicator of mitochondrial health. In cancer cells, ΔΨm is often decreased, which can lead to changes in cellular metabolism, increased glycolysis, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and altered cell death pathways. The membrane of malignant mitochondria is hyperpolarized (−220 mV) in comparison to their healthy counterparts (−160 mV), which facilitates the penetration of positively charged molecules to the cancer cells mitochondria. The MMP is a critical indicator of mitochondrial function, directly reflecting the organelle's capacity to generate ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. |
| 5838- | CAP, | Capsaicin Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells by Downregulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway |
| - | in-vitro, | NPC, | NA |
| 5836- | CAP, | In vitro and in vivo induction of apoptosis by capsaicin in pancreatic cancer cells is mediated through ROS generation and mitochondrial death pathway |
| - | vitro+vivo, | PC, | AsPC-1 | - | in-vitro, | PC, | Bxpc-3 |
| 5835- | CAP, | Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin induce apoptosis in human glioma cells via ROS and Ca2+-mediated mitochondrial pathway |
| - | in-vitro, | GBM, | U251 |
| 5833- | CAP, | Capsaicin: From Plants to a Cancer-Suppressing Agent |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 5832- | CAP, | Capsaicin induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human KB cancer cells |
| - | in-vitro, | Oral, | KB |
| 5831- | CAP, | Unraveling TRPV1’s Role in Cancer: Expression, Modulation, and Therapeutic Opportunities with Capsaicin |
| 5830- | CAP, | Inhibition of pyroptosis and apoptosis by capsaicin protects against LPS-induced acute kidney injury through TRPV1/UCP2 axis in vitro |
| - | in-vitro, | Nor, | HK-2 |
| 5826- | CAP, | Capsaicin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells via TRPV1-mediated mitochondrial calcium overload |
| - | in-vitro, | Thyroid, | NA |
| 5858- | CAP, | Capsaicin as a Microbiome Modulator: Metabolic Interactions and Implications for Host Health |
| - | Review, | Nor, | NA | - | Review, | AD, | NA |
| 5854- | CAP, | Pharmacological activity of capsaicin: Mechanisms and controversies (Review) |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA | - | Review, | AD, | NA |
| 5849- | CAP, | The Impact of TRPV1 on Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy: A Systematic Review |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 5847- | CAP, | An updated review on molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of capsaicin |
| - | in-vitro, | Liver, | HepG2 |
| 2019- | CAP, | Capsaicin: A Two-Decade Systematic Review of Global Research Output and Recent Advances Against Human Cancer |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 2018- | CAP, | MF, | Capsaicin: Effects on the Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| - | Review, | HCC, | NA |
| 2014- | CAP, | Role of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Complexes in Capsaicin Mediated Oxidative Stress Leading to Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells |
| - | in-vitro, | PC, | Bxpc-3 | - | in-vitro, | Nor, | HPDE-6 | - | in-vivo, | PC, | AsPC-1 |
| 2012- | CAP, | Capsaicin induces cytotoxicity in human osteosarcoma MG63 cells through TRPV1-dependent and -independent pathways |
| - | NA, | OS, | MG63 |
| 1517- | CAP, | Capsaicin Inhibits Multiple Bladder Cancer Cell Phenotypes by Inhibiting Tumor-Associated NADH Oxidase (tNOX) and Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) |
| - | in-vitro, | Bladder, | TSGH8301 | - | in-vitro, | CRC, | T24/HTB-9 |
| 1264- | CAP, | Capsaicin modulates proliferation, migration, and activation of hepatic stellate cells |
| - | in-vitro, | HCC, | NA |
| 5198- | CAP, | Capsaicin induces apoptosis by generating reactive oxygen species and disrupting mitochondrial transmembrane potential in human colon cancer cell lines |
| - | in-vitro, | CRC, | LoVo | - | in-vitro, | CRC, | Colo320 |
| 2652- | CAP, | Oxidative Stress Inducers in Cancer Therapy: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 2020- | CAP, | Capsaicinoids and Their Effects on Cancer: The “Double-Edged Sword” Postulate from the Molecular Scale |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers. Such Conditions may include : -low or high Dose -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations -different cell line effects -synergies with other products -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
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