Corral-Guerrero Iván Artemio, Martínez-Medina Angela Elena, Alvarado-Mata Litzy Yazmin, Chávez Ana Cristina Figueroa, Muñoz-García Roberto, Luévanos-Escareño Miriam Paulina, Sosa-Martínez Jazel Doménica, Castro-Alonso María José, Nimmakayala Padma, Reddy Umesh K, Balagurusamy Nagamani
Laboratorio de Biorremediación, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón 27000, Mexico.
Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, Dunbar, WV 25112-1000, USA.
Metabolites. 2025 Jun 5;15(6):372. doi: 10.3390/metabo15060372.
Capsaicin is the principal pungent compound in chili peppers and is increasingly recognized as a multifunctional phytochemical with systemic effects beyond its sensory properties. It has been linked to metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, inflammation control, and cancer modulation. This review aims to provide an integrative synthesis of capsaicin's metabolism, its interaction with the gut microbiome, and its physiological implications across organ systems. We conducted a critical literature review of recent in vivo and in vitro studies exploring capsaicin's metabolic fate, biotransformation by host enzymes and gut microbes, tissue distribution, and molecular pathways. The literature was analyzed thematically to cover gastrointestinal absorption, hepatic metabolism, microbiota interactions, and systemic cellular responses. Capsaicin undergoes extensive hepatic metabolism, producing hydroxylated and dehydrogenated metabolites that differ in transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor affinity and tissue-specific bioactivity. It crosses the blood-brain barrier, alters neurotransmitter levels, and accumulates in brain regions involved in cognition. In addition to its systemic effects, capsaicin appears to undergo microbial transformation and influences gut microbial composition, favoring short-chain fatty acid producers and suppressing pro-inflammatory taxa. These changes contribute to anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and potentially anticancer effects. Dose-dependent adverse outcomes, such as epithelial damage or tumor promotion, have also been observed. Capsaicin represents a diet-derived bioactive molecule whose systemic impact is shaped by dynamic interactions between host metabolism and the gut microbiota. Clarifying its biotransformation pathways and context-specific effects is essential for its safe and effective use in metabolic and neurological health strategies.
辣椒素是辣椒中的主要辛辣化合物，越来越被认为是一种多功能植物化学物质，其系统作用超出了其感官特性。它与代谢调节、神经保护、炎症控制和癌症调节有关。本综述旨在综合阐述辣椒素的代谢、其与肠道微生物群的相互作用以及其在各器官系统中的生理意义。我们对最近的体内和体外研究进行了批判性文献综述，探讨辣椒素的代谢命运、宿主酶和肠道微生物的生物转化、组织分布以及分子途径。对文献进行了主题分析，以涵盖胃肠道吸收、肝脏代谢、微生物群相互作用和全身细胞反应。辣椒素经历广泛的肝脏代谢，产生羟基化和脱氢代谢物，这些代谢物在瞬时受体电位香草酸亚型1（TRPV1）受体亲和力和组织特异性生物活性方面存在差异。它穿过血脑屏障，改变神经递质水平，并在参与认知的脑区积累。除了其全身作用外，辣椒素似乎还会经历微生物转化并影响肠道微生物组成，有利于短链脂肪酸产生菌并抑制促炎类群。这些变化有助于产生抗肥胖、抗炎和潜在的抗癌作用。也观察到了剂量依赖性的不良后果，如上皮损伤或肿瘤促进作用。辣椒素是一种源自饮食的生物活性分子，其全身影响由宿主代谢和肠道微生物群之间的动态相互作用所塑造。阐明其生物转化途径和特定背景下的作用对于其在代谢和神经健康策略中的安全有效应用至关重要。
