Hu Boyong, Wang Heng, Liang Hong, Ma Ning, Wu Diyi, Zhao Ruotong, Lv Haoming, Xiao Zuobing
Department of Food Science & Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2025;65(20):3987-4006. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2381689. Epub 2024 Jul 23.
The spicy properties of foods are contributed by various spicy flavor substances (SFs) such as capsaicin, piperine, and allicin. Beyond their distinctive sensory characteristics, SFs also influence health conditions and numerous studies have associated spicy flavors with disease treatment. In this review, we enumerate different types of SFs and describe their role in food processing, with a specific emphasis on critically examining their influence on human wellness. Particularly, detailed insights into the mechanisms through which SFs enhance physiological balance and alleviate neurological diseases are provided, and a systematic analysis of the significance of transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) in regulating metabolism and nervous system homeostasis is presented. Moreover, enhancing the accessibility and utilization of SFs can potentially amplify the physiological effects. This review aims to provide compelling evidence for the integration of food flavor and human health.
食物的辣味由多种辣味风味物质（SFs）产生，如辣椒素、胡椒碱和大蒜素。除了其独特的感官特性外，SFs还会影响健康状况，并且大量研究已将辣味与疾病治疗联系起来。在本综述中，我们列举了不同类型的SFs，并描述了它们在食品加工中的作用，特别着重于批判性地研究它们对人类健康的影响。具体而言，我们深入探讨了SFs增强生理平衡和缓解神经疾病的机制，并对瞬时受体电位香草酸亚型1（TRPV1）在调节新陈代谢和神经系统稳态中的重要性进行了系统分析。此外，提高SFs的可及性和利用率可能会增强其生理效应。本综述旨在为食物风味与人类健康的整合提供有力证据。
