Psychology of Pepper Consumption

Finally, I would like to thank my wife Enrica and my daughter Silvia for their constant support and love, and all my collaborators from the Universita del Piemonte Orientale for their commitment to research and for showing me, every day, how important is to see what everyone has seen and think what no one has thoughf (A. Szent-Gyorgyi). 

1 As at March 3, 2006, the SdFinder database shows 16 012 entries for capsaidn. For comparison, taxol and phorbol had 11 608 and 66 862 entries, respectively. A search in die same database produced 904 patents related to capsaidn. 

2 See http //www.m-w.com/dictionary/ capsaidn. There is considerable uncertainly regarding the correct pronundation of capsaicin, even within sdentists whose native language is English. According to the Webster Dictionary, capsaicin should be pronounced kap- sA- -s n 

3 A search on capsaicin reviews in the PubMed database gave 618 entries as at July 1, 2007. Of these reviews, 84 deal specifically with capsaicin, its receptor, or its ligands. 

4 Suzuki, T. and Iwai, K. (1984) Constituents of red pepper species. Chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and food science of the pungent principle of capsicum species, Brossi, A. (Ed.) The Alkaloids, Vol. 23, Academic Press, Orlando, FL, 227-299. 

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