Dihydrocapsaicin (CCRIS1589) is isolated from Capsicum fruit. Capsaicin is the primary active component of the heat and pain-eliciting lipid soluble fraction of the Capsicum pepper. Like capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin is an irritant. Capsaicin is found in natural hot pepper extracts along with a number of impurities, including dihydrocapsaicin and several lesser impurities. Separation by HPLC is required in order to obtain pure dihydrocapsaicin. Dihydrocapsaicin represents about 10% of the compound present in commercial preparations purporting to be pure capsaicin, but it has about the same pungency as capsaicin. VR1 (vanilloid receptor 1) is a heat activated calcium ion channel which functions as a part of the normal nociceptive pain pathway. Capsaicin elicits a sensation of burning pain by activation of VR1 on small, non-myelinated polymodal C-type nociceptive nerve fibers. The potency of dihydrocapsaicin at VR1 appears equivalent to capsaicin. Antioxidant. Reduces oxidation of serum lipids. Mutagenic. Dihydrocapsaicin is an activator of VR1.
