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Chilli or cayenne pepper
(Capsicum annuum). It is native of
central and South America. Cayenne is derived from Greek
word meaning ‘to bite’. The Latin name capsicum refers
to its
hot and pungent taste. The South American natives believed
that eating six cayenne peppers daily for eight days
make them
excellent blow-gunners. One of its common names, Tabasco
sauce, derives from the Mexican state of Tabasco. There
is even
a Tabasco flavoured ice cream in Mexico. While used mainly
to
spice up foods, the active constituent capsaicin that
produces
the heat sensation is used as a counter irritant in the
treatment
of post-herpetic neuralgia. Capsaicin depletes substance
P
which is an important neurotransmitters of peripheral
pain
impulses from the small sensory peripheral and prevents
its
reaccumulation. Capsaicin is also used in the manufacturing
of self-defence tear-gas sprays. |
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