From: dondd@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Don Dillon)
Newsgroups: rec.food.historic
Subject: Re: custard apple was Re: why chile-hot food?
Date: 12 Aug 92 22:21:11 GMT
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)

I snagged this off the net a while ago and it pertains here. The original
posters sig. is at the bottom..... enjoy.

Don { pizza with max endorphins to go please } Dillon

INTERNET : dondd@sr.hp.com
TELNET   : 577-3690
PHONE    : 707-577-3690

-------------------------Start of hijacked text------------------------

Capsaicin is the heat source of chile peppers and is produced by
glands located where the placenta and the pod wall meet.  The 
capsaicin is concentrated in the placental tissue and not in
the seeds, as is commonly thought (though because the seeds rest
so close to the placental tissue -- the membrane along the inside
of the chile pepper wall -- they probably pick up quite a bit
of capsaicin.  Below is some more interesting information, taken
from The Whole Chile Pepper Book, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach.

   "Capsaicin is an incredibly powerful and stable alkaloid 
seemingly unaffected by cold or heat, which retains its original 
potency over time, cooking, or freezing.  Because it has no flavor,
color, or odor, the precise amount of capsaicin present in chiles
can only be measured by a specialized laboratory procedure known
as high-pressure liquid chromotography (HPLC), sometimes called
high-performance liquid chromotography.
   "Capsaicinoids are the chemical compounds that give chile 
peppers their bite.  Scientists have identified and isolated
six naturally occurring members of this fiery family and one
synthetic cousin, which is used as a reference guage for 
determining the relative pungency of the others.
   "The synthetic capsaicinoid vanillylamide of n-nonanoic acid
(VNA), was administered to sisteen trained tasters by researchers
Anna Krajewska and John Powers at the University of Georgia.
The tasters compared the heat of VNA to the four natural
capsaicinoids and the results were as follows.
   "The mildest capsaicinoid was nordihydrocapsaicin (NDHC),
which was described as the "least irritating" and "fruity,
sweet, and spicy."  Next was homodihydrocapsaicin (HDHC), A
compound described as "very irritating" and one that produced
a "numbing burn" in the throat, which also was the most prolonged
and difficult to rinse out.
   "The two most fiery capsaicinoid compounds were capsaicin (C)
and dihydrocapsaicin (DHC), which produced burning everywhere
from the mid-tongue and palate down into the throat.  Evidently,
all of the capsaicinoids work together to produce the pungency
of peppers, but capsaicin itself is still rated the strongest.
   "The sensation of heat created by capsaicin is caused by
the irritation of the trigeminal cells, which are pain receptors
located in the mouth, nose, and stomach.  They release substance
P, a chemical messenger that tells the brain about pain or skin
inflamation.  Repeated consumption of chile peppers confuses
the substance P receptors, which is the reason people eventually
build up a tolerance to capsaicin and can eat hotter and hotter
foods.
   "When applied topically to treat skin pain, capsaicin empties
the stores of substance P from the nerve endings in the skin --
this is the initial burning sensation.  Capsaicin also prevents the
nerve endings from making more substance P, and thus further pain
signals from the skin are greatly diminished or completely
eliminated.  Capsaicin is the only compound known to block the
transmission of substance P to the brain.
	"Substance P causes the brain to produce endorphins, morphine-
like natural painkillers that give the body a sense of well-being.
Some experts have suggested that by eating fiery foods, chile 
lovers are unconsciously stimulating the brain to release 
endorphins, which is why there are tales of people like us who
are "addicted" to chile peppers."

*****************************************************************

Hope that answers any question you had  ;-)

Carol
(chilehead)
riacmt@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu