Author: Sophie Buller

Capsaicin (Figure 1) is the major compound in chili peppers that triggers the reception of “spice”. It acts on the transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 1 receptor, or just TRPV1. The TRPV1 receptor is found across sensory neurons, and because the response is followed by a long refractory period, capsaicin has been applied as…