Hot Peppers And Capsaicin Activity Ws

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Hot Peppers and Capsaicin
Introduction
Almost all of the “heat” in hot peppers comes from large
molecules called capsaicin. Capsaicin is a member of the
vanilloid family, which includes the distinctly flavored
chemicals found in vanilla, cloves, ginger and garlic.
However, due to their large size, capsaicin molecules are
odorless, do not evaporate easily, and do not dissolve in
water.
Capsaicin has the ability to open a door in cell membranes
that allows calcium ions to flood into the cell. This triggers a
pain signal that is similar to when cells are exposed to heat,
so the burning feeling from eating a hot pepper is a very real
sensation! If people eat enough spicy, capsaicin-rich foods,
they can build up a tolerance to the heat as well as a sort of
mild addiction to the endorphin rush caused by the pain.
Because capsaicin does not dissolve in water, any water-based beverage will not be effective
in reducing the pain caused by capsaicin. Milk, however, contains casein, a fat-loving protein
that surrounds the offending molecules and washes them away in a similar manner to soap
washing away grease. Sugar water, which was used by Scoville himself establishing his heat
scale, can also have a cooling effect.
Materials
cups
peppers, various
milk (2%)
pipettes
paper plates
sugar water
Procedure
1.
Prepare several samples of hot peppers by slicing them into thin rings or chopping them
up in a food processor.
2.
Obtain a cup of milk. Take a small sip to cleanse your palette.
3.
Obtain a cup of sugar water and a pipette.
4.
Select a pepper to sample. Record its name in the Data Table. CAUTION: DO NOT
TOUCH YOUR EYES AFTER HANDLING PEPPER SAMPLES.
5.
Eat the pepper sample, chewing it up completely to release the capsaicin. You may
swallow it or spit it out into the trash.
6.
Squirt a pipette full of sugar water into your mouth and swish it around to try to
decrease the heat effect. Keep using pipettes of sugar water until the heat is tolerable.
Record the number of pipettes of sugar water you used.
7.
Rank the pepper’s spiciness from 1 (“Not Spicy”) to 10 (“Extremely Spicy”). Record this
ranking in the Data Table.
8.
Drink a small amount of milk and swirl it around in your mouth to cleanse your palette.
Depending on the spiciness of the sample, you may want to do this several times, but be
careful not to drink large quantities of milk at once because it could make you sick!
9.
After you have completed the lab, wash your hands thoroughly and dispose of any
uneaten peppers and used paper plates in the trash.
10. Compare your rankings of the peppers you tasted with the chart of pepper “hotness”
provided by your teacher.

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