Abstract
Chili pepper ( Capsicum spp.) is important as a spice, flavour enhancer, vegetable and component in herbal medicine. The numerous phytochemicals and their medicinally important properties present in diverse germplasm of chili pepper have been characterized and documented. Capsaicinoids, carotenoids, vitamins, flavonoids such as anthocyanins are present as the major phytochemicals in chili pepper fruits. Capsaicinoids, pungent analogues of capsinoids, are the most important group of phytochemicals in which capsaicin and dihydrocapsaic in are prominent in providing the basis for pungency and medicinal properties. The detailed studies conducted on the phytochemicals in chili pepper fruits using mouse models and human cell lines have reported an array of anticancer effects on leukemia, myeloma and various carcinomas associated with the digestive tract. In addition, chili pepper possesses anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticholesteremic, anticlotting and antioxidant activities. Therefore, this review is compiled to provide a comprehensive assessment of the phytochemical profile and medicinal values of chili pepper. Collectively, numerous studies performed to date demonstrated the potential medicinal significance of chili pepper for development of herbal medicine and to plan further studies to elucidate other hitherto unknown medicinal values.
Highlights
Chili pepper, (Capsicum spp.), is an essential element in our daily cuisine
There are five major capsaicinoids observed in chili pepper which contribute to the pungency (Baruah et al, 2014; Reyes-Escogido et al, 2011) (Figure 1)
The phytochemicals present in chili pepper possess anticancer properties (Chung et al, 2005), among them, vitamin C and phenolic compounds can act as antioxidants to counteract effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
Summary
Chili pepper, (Capsicum spp.), is an essential element in our daily cuisine. It is the most highly consumed spice in the world with a mean annual consumption of 3.5 million metric tons of dried fruit (FAO, 2015).Characteristic pungency and flavour of the chili pepper fruits provide unique hotness to meal preparations and a wide variety of foods utilize this pungency in combination with salt and other spices for flavour enhancement (Pino et al, 2007). The indigenous uses of chili pepper in folk medicinal applications and the safe and prolonged use of chili pepper as a spice in human history enable us to think that the phytochemicals present in chili pepper fruits promote and maintain the good health of human beings (Bosland, 1996). These phytochemicals and their nutritional and medicinal values have been characterized in numerous studies. This paper reviews the medicinal values of chili pepper on diverse ailments including cancer, diabetics, cholesteromia and microbial infections
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