J Toxicol Sci. 2011 Jan;36(1):109-16. doi: 10.2131/jts.36.109.
Red peppers are used as a spice for enhancing the palatability of foods. Two major capsaicinoids, dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) and capsaicin (CAP) are responsible for up to 90% of the total pungency of pepper fruits. These capsaicinoids are known to enhance energy metabolism and thermogenesis. However, there is a little information on the effects of capsaicinoids on the lipolysis and carbohydrate metabolism. We studied the effects of DHC and CAP on plasma glucose, free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol concentrations in rats. Male six-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the DHC, CAP and control groups. Each capsaicinoid (dose = 3 mg/kg BW/day) was subcutaneously administered to rats for 10 days. DHC increased markedly plasma glucose, FFA and glycerol concentrations on day 1-10 by 14-35%, 61-103% and 108-174%, respectively, as compared with those of the control group. CAP increased relatively plasma glucose concentrations on day 1-3 by 15-17%, as compared with the control group. However, there were no significant differences in plasma glucose concentrations on day 7-10 among three groups. On the contrary, CAP did not change plasma FFA and glycerol concentrations on day 1-3. However, CAP increased markedly plasma FFA and glycerol concentrations on day 7-10 by 54-89% and 92-98%, respectively, as compared with the control group. DHC and CAP did not change the weights of white (perirenal and periepididymal) and brown (interscapular) adipose tissues. In conclusion, the effects of capsaicinoids on plasma glucose, FFA and glycerol concentrations were relatively higher in the DHC than in the CAP, and capsaicinoids did not change the weight of white and brown adipose tissues.
红辣椒被用作增加食物美味的香料。二氢辣椒素（DHC）和辣椒素（CAP）这两种主要的辣椒素负责高达 90%的辣椒果实的总辣味。这些辣椒素被认为可以促进能量代谢和产热。然而，关于辣椒素对脂肪分解和碳水化合物代谢的影响的信息很少。我们研究了 DHC 和 CAP 对大鼠血浆葡萄糖、游离脂肪酸（FFA）和甘油浓度的影响。雄性六周龄 Sprague Dawley 大鼠分为 DHC、CAP 和对照组。将每种辣椒素（剂量=3mg/kgBW/天）皮下注射给大鼠 10 天。与对照组相比，DHC 在第 1-10 天显著增加了 14-35%、61-103%和 108-174%的血浆葡萄糖、FFA 和甘油浓度。CAP 在第 1-3 天相对增加了 15-17%的血浆葡萄糖浓度，与对照组相比。然而，三组在第 7-10 天的血浆葡萄糖浓度没有显著差异。相反，CAP 在第 1-3 天没有改变血浆 FFA 和甘油浓度。然而，CAP 在第 7-10 天显著增加了 54-89%和 92-98%的血浆 FFA 和甘油浓度，与对照组相比。DHC 和 CAP 没有改变白色（肾周和附睾旁）和棕色（肩胛间）脂肪组织的重量。总之，与 CAP 相比，DHC 对血浆葡萄糖、FFA 和甘油浓度的影响相对较高，辣椒素没有改变白色和棕色脂肪组织的重量。
