How the 'heat' compound from chili peppers could help kill cancer cells

Date: September 9, 2015 

Source: American Chemical Society 

Summary: 

Capsaicin, the compound responsible for chilis' heat, is used in creams sold to relieve pain, and recent research shows that in high doses, it kills prostate cancer cells. Now researchers are finding clues that help explain how the substance works. Their conclusions suggest that one day it could come in a new, therapeutic form.

Capsaicin, the compound responsible for chilis' heat, is used in creams sold to relieve pain, and recent research shows that in high doses, it kills prostate cancer cells. Now researchers are finding clues that help explain how the substance works. Their conclusions suggest that one day it could come in a new, therapeutic form. Their study appears in ACS'The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

About 10 years ago, researchers reported that capsaicin can kill prostate cancer cells in mice while leaving healthy cells unharmed. But translating that dose to humans would require them to eat a huge number of chili peppers per day. Figuring out how capsaicin works could help researchers transform it into an effective drug in the form of an injection or pill.

Researchers have figured out that the molecule binds to a cell's surface and affects the membrane, which surrounds and protects the cell. That finding prompted Ashok Kumar Mishra and Jitendriya Swain to try to gain a deeper understanding of capsaicin's effects so it might be harnessed in the future for new medicines.

The scientists were able to detect how the compound interacts with cell membranes by monitoring its natural fluorescence. The study showed that capsaicin lodges in the membranes near the surface. Add enough of it, and the capsaicin essentially causes the membranes to come apart. With additional research, this insight could help lead to novel tools against cancer or other conditions.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference: 

Jitendriya Swain, Ashok Kumar Mishra. Location, Partitioning Behavior, and Interaction of Capsaicin with Lipid Bilayer Membrane: Study Using Its Intrinsic Fluorescence. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2015; 119 (36): 12086 DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b05351

Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "How the 'heat' compound from chili peppers could help kill cancer cells." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 September 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150909125003.htm>.