Names | |
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Preferred IUPAC name
(6E)-N-[(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-8-methylnon-6-enamide
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Other names
(E)-N-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylnon-6-enamide
8-Methyl-N-vanillyl-trans-6-nonenamide trans-8-Methyl-N-vanillylnon-6-enamide (E)-Capsaicin Capsicine Capsicin CPS |
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Identifiers | |
3D model (Jmol)
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ChEBI | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.006.337 |
EC Number | 206-969-8 |
KEGG | |
PubChem CID
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UNII | |
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Properties | |
C18H27NO3 | |
Molar mass | 305.42 g·mol−1 |
Appearance | crystalline white powder |
Odor | highly volatile and pungent |
Melting point | 62 to 65 °C (144 to 149 °F; 335 to 338 K) |
Boiling point | 210 to 220 °C (410 to 428 °F; 483 to 493 K) 0.01 Torr |
0.0013 g/100 mL | |
Solubility | soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene slightly soluble in CS2, HCl, petroleum |
Vapor pressure | ×10−8 mm Hg at 1.32 25 °C |
UV-vis (λmax) | 280 nm |
Structure | |
monoclinic | |
Pharmacology | |
M02AB01 (WHO) N01BX04 (WHO) | |
Hazards | |
Main hazards | Toxic (T) |
Safety data sheet | Capsaicin, Natural MSDS |
R-phrases | R24/25 |
S-phrases | S26, S36/37/39, S45 |
NFPA 704 | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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what is ?) | (|
Infobox references | |
Capsaicin | |
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Heat | Above Peak (SR: 15,000,000-16,000,000) |
Capsaicin (/kæpˈseɪ.ᵻsɪn/ (INN); 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain mammals and fungi. Pure capsaicin is a non-volatile, hydrophobic, colorless, highly pungent, crystalline to waxy compound.
The compound was first extracted in impure form in 1816 by Christian Friedrich Bucholz (1770–1818). He called it "capsicin", after the genus Capsicum from which it was extracted. John Clough Thresh (1850–1932), who had isolated capsaicin in almost pure form, gave it the name "capsaicin" in 1876. Karl Micko isolated capsaicin in its pure form in 1898. Capsaicin's chemical composition was first determined by E. K. Nelson in 1919, who also partially elucidated capsaicin's chemical structure. Capsaicin was first synthesized in 1930 by Ernst Spath and Stephen F. Darling. In 1961, similar substances were isolated from chili peppers by the Japanese chemists S. Kosuge and Y. Inagaki, who named them capsaicinoids.
In 1873 German pharmacologist Rudolf Buchheim (1820–1879) and in 1878 the Hungarian doctor Endre Hőgyes stated that "capsicol" (partially purified capsaicin) caused the burning feeling when in contact with mucous membranes and increased secretion of gastric acid.