Other Names: chilli pepper, pepper, red pepper, green pepper, paprika
Capsicum is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Some of the members of Capsicum are used
as spices, vegetables, and medicines. The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place
and type. They are commonly called chilli pepper, red or green pepper, or just pepper in Britain and the US; the
large mild form is called bell pepper in the US, capsicum in Australian English, and paprika in some other
countries (though paprika can also mean different types, or the powder of some dried capsicum fruits).
Capsicums originated in the Americas, but are now grown worldwide.
The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl vanillyl nonenamide), a lipophilic chemical
that can produce a strong burning sensation in the mouth (and, if not properly digested, anus) of the unaccustomed
eater. Most mammals find this unpleasant; however, birds are unaffected. Apparently, the secretion of capsaicin is
an adaptation to protect the fruit from consumption by mammals while the bright colors attract birds that will
spread the seeds. The amount of capsaicin in peppers is highly variable and dependent on genetics, giving almost
all types of peppers varied amounts of perceived heat. The only pepper without capsaicin is the bell pepper.
Chilli peppers are of great importance in Native American medicine. They have been used as a carminative, digestive
irritant, stomachic, stimulant, rubefacient, and tonic. The plants have also been used as folk remedies for dropsy,
colic, diarrhea, asthma, arthritis, muscle cramps, and toothache.
In modern Western medicine, Capsaicin is used mainly in topical preparations, as a circulatory stimulant, and pain
reliever. Capsaicin has also been recently shown to have prostate cancer fighting effects.
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