Capsaicin: An In-Depth Review of Its Chemical Properties, Health Benefits, and Challenges in Food Applications

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of capsaicin, a key component in chili peppers, highlighting its chemical properties, health benefits, and challenges in food applications. Capsaicin exhibits numerous health benefits, including anti-tumor, antioxidant, and pain-relief properties, and is used in treating conditions like headaches and psoriasis. However, excessive consumption can cause gastrointestinal issues. The review identifies research gaps, such as the need for understanding capsaicin's long-term effects on gut microbiota and its optimal dosages for therapeutic use. It also discusses the challenges in incorporating capsaicin into functional foods due to its pungency and stability issues. Future research should focus on developing multidisciplinary frameworks to enhance capsaicin's applications in food and pharmaceuticals, employing computational modeling and personalized nutrition approaches. Collaborative efforts are essential to establish regulatory guidelines for capsaicin's integration into mainstream applications.