Extraction methods and applications of capsaicin

Capsaicin is also known as capsicine, was the main spicy substance in pepper fruit. The earliest isolated from pepper fruit in 1876, and named capsaicin. Since then, there are some homologs of capsaicin in the pepper fruit had been found, they are collectively referred to as capsaicin series substances, now has been found more than 14 kinds of capsaicin series substances. Wherein the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are accounted for about 90% of the total amount, the remaining accounted for only a small amount.

Capsaicin is an extremely spicy vanilla amide alkaloid. Its chemical structure name: -8 - methyl - (trans) -6 - nonenamide. Pure product is white flaky crystal, melting point is 65-66°C. Easy to be dissolved in methanol, ethanol, acetone, chloroform and ether, also can be dissolved in an aqueous alkaline solution, at high temperature will produce irritating gases. It can be hydrolyzed to the vanilla ylamine and capric acid, it shows subacidity because of having a phenolic hydroxyl group, and can have a colorimetric reaction with Fehling reagent.

Capsaicin manufacturer usually use the method of extracting from natural pepper to prepare capsaicin. Early methods is pulverized the dry red pepper, extracted with an organic solvent, concentrated to give an oily liquid, this oil in the international are collectively referred to as capsicum oleoresin, the main ingredient is capsaicin, dihydro capsaicin, drop-dihydro capsaicin, high-dihydro capsaicin, capsanthin, carotene, yellow pigment, as well as citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and other a variety of substances. Pepper oil resin through the solvent of diethyl ether, dilute ethanol, and alkaline solution, or petroleum ether, dichloroethane and other solvents to further extracted and concentrated, crystallized can be obtained crude crystals of capsaicin, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content is about 76% to 96%. In recent years, in the preparation of capsaicin appears a lot of new techniques and new methods, such as ion-exchange method, supercritical fluid extraction, liquid - liquid extraction, ethanol extraction, prepared by biological cell culture system, chemical synthesis capsaicin structure analogs.

In the international market, the supply of capsaicin exist a certain gap, especially the high purity capsaicin apply in medicine, this part of product’s processing technology is difficult, but the corresponding product’s sales prices are high, with the capsaicin in the pharmaceutical, agriculture and other fields further promote using in future, the market prospects is more optimistic.

Capsaicin is widely used, currently used as an additive in the food industry were generally belong to the low-purity capsaicin products, too much impurities, heavy odor, low price, economic efficiency is no high; the high purity capsaicin has a number of physiological activity, can ease pain, diminish inflammation, circulate blood, is now widely used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, bruises, frostbite, drug, analgesic, anti-itch, inflammation sterilization, and as pharmaceutical raw materials for a variety of drugs, such as chili rheumatism ointment, drug injection, capsaicin ointment and pepper analgesic ointment; in agriculture used as pesticide formulations to get rid of pests and pest control; in military, capsaicin is used as the main component of manufacturing tear gas, tear gas guns and defensive weapons; in other areas also have been reported the application of capsaicin, the United States in 1995 used the capsaicin series compounds in paints, coating the ship to prevent algae and marine organisms sticking, also can be used in wood, metal, plastic and other surface coating.

Source:http://www.cospcn.com