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Index of Subjects ------=_Part_11835_15180958.1201138809576 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Hello David and All: To add to the discussion: You wrote; > Dried, ground Cayenne pepper would be a convenient source of > Capsaicin Capsaicin represents various alkaloid compounds called capsaicinoids. The "heat" of peppers is measured in Scoville Units, where 1 ppm capsiacinoids = 1.5 Scoville units. [No heat (0-700 Scoville heat units), mildly pungent (700-3,000), moderately pungent (3,000-25,000), highly pungent (25,000-70,000), and very highly pungent (>80,000).] (the active ingredient of Capsicum). Cayenne pepper, so I > understand, is derived from African Pepper (Capsicum fastigiatum); or > was ca 1915 when my Materia Medica was written. There are five Capsicum species grown commercially, with C. annum making up the bulk of the production. More recent taxonomic changes appear to have reduced this number to three species. Capsicum fastigiatum is considered a synonym of Capsicum frutescens (Tabasco pepper), which now (apparently) has been lumped with C. annum. These plants are of native to Central and South America, not Africa. So far as I know, Capsaicin is not present in black pepper (Piper > nigrum). Correct. The major flavour contributing compound in Black Pepper is Piperine, with a minor contribution from Charisine, Piperidine and Piperittine. It is interesting to note that both Black Pepper (unripe berries) and White Pepper (ripe berries) are derived from the same plant. All the best, Ron A. Memramcook, N.B. Yt, DW, Kentville > > Andy Moir/Chris Callaghan wrote: > > > I've been told that adding pepper to the bird seed will keep the > > squirrels away, but not harm the birds. The pepper, according to the > > note I got, won't hurt either the birds or the squirrels...but the > > squirrels choose to find another source of food that isn't so spicy. > > > > I looked up a site on the net. http://www.squirrelproof.ca/index.html > > It talked about an ingredient in chili peppers. > > > > "Capsaicin is the natural, organic active ingredient in chili peppers > > that gives them their "hot" taste. Mammals have special neural > > receptors (similar to taste buds) for capsaicin and therefore, > > experience the "heat." Birds either lack these receptors or have > > receptors that are insensitive to capsaicin. Most botanists and > > ornithologists believe that chili peppers evolved this way so that > > small mammals would avoid the hot taste, while birds freely eat the > > pungent pepper pod. This adaptation/coevolution would result in wide > > ranging dispersal of the undigested seed to ensure the natural > > propagation and long term survival of the chili pepper plant." > > > > > > > > Does anyone know if the pepper you'd use at the dinner table has the > > same effect as capsaicin is alleged to have? Has anyone tried using > > capsaicin? Does it work? > > > > Andy Moir > > > > Freeport > > > > > -- Ronald G. Arsenault Memramcook, N.B. ------=_Part_11835_15180958.1201138809576 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline <div>Hello David and All:</div> <div> </div> <div>To add to the discussion:<br><br>You wrote; </div> <div> </div> <div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> Dried, ground Cayenne pepper would be a convenient source of<br>Capsaicin </blockquote> <div> </div> <div>Capsaicin represents various alkaloid compounds called capsaicinoids. The "heat" of peppers is measured in Scoville Units, where 1 ppm capsiacinoids = 1.5 Scoville units. </div> <div>[No heat (0-700 Scoville heat units), mildly pungent (700-3,000), moderately pungent (3,000-25,000), highly pungent (25,000-70,000), and very highly pungent (>80,000).] </div> <div> </div><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">(the active ingredient of Capsicum). Cayenne pepper, so I<br>understand, is derived from African Pepper (Capsicum fastigiatum); or <br>was ca 1915 when my Materia Medica was written.</blockquote> <div> </div> <div>There are five Capsicum species grown commercially, with C. annum making up the bulk of the production. More recent taxonomic changes appear to have reduced this number to three species. Capsicum fastigiatum is considered a synonym of Capsicum frutescens (Tabasco pepper), which now (apparently) has been lumped with C. annum. These plants are of native to Central and South America, not Africa. </div> <div> </div><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> So far as I know, Capsaicin is not present in black pepper (Piper<br>nigrum).</blockquote> <div> </div> <div>Correct. The major flavour contributing compound in Black Pepper is Piperine, with a minor contribution from Charisine, Piperidine and Piperittine. It is interesting to note that both Black Pepper (unripe berries) and White Pepper (ripe berries) are derived from the same plant. </div> <div> </div> <div>All the best,</div> <div> </div> <div>Ron A.</div> <div>Memramcook, N.B.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Yt, DW, Kentville<br><br>Andy Moir/Chris Callaghan wrote:<br><br>> I've been told that adding pepper to the bird seed will keep the <br>> squirrels away, but not harm the birds. The pepper, according to the<br>> note I got, won't hurt either the birds or the squirrels...but the<br>> squirrels choose to find another source of food that isn't so spicy. <br>><br>> I looked up a site on the net. http://www.squirrelproof.ca/index.html<br>> It talked about an ingredient in chili peppers.<br>><br>> "Capsaicin is the natural, organic active ingredient in chili peppers <br>> that gives them their "hot" taste. Mammals have special neural<br>> receptors (similar to taste buds) for capsaicin and therefore,<br>> experience the "heat." Birds either lack these receptors or have <br>> receptors that are insensitive to capsaicin. Most botanists and<br>> ornithologists believe that chili peppers evolved this way so that<br>> small mammals would avoid the hot taste, while birds freely eat the <br>> pungent pepper pod. This adaptation/coevolution would result in wide<br>> ranging dispersal of the undigested seed to ensure the natural<br>> propagation and long term survival of the chili pepper plant." <br>><br>><br>><br>> Does anyone know if the pepper you'd use at the dinner table has the<br>> same effect as capsaicin is alleged to have? Has anyone tried using<br>> capsaicin? Does it work?<br>> <br>> Andy Moir<br>><br>> Freeport<br>><br><br><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Ronald G. Arsenault<br>Memramcook, N.B. ------=_Part_11835_15180958.1201138809576--
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