Capsicum annuum

Scientific name: Capsicum annuum L.

Synonym: Capsicum frutescens L.

Synonym 2: Capsicum annuum var. frutescens (L.) Kuntze.

Botanical family: SOLANACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Dominican Republic:

ají caribe

St Vincent and Grenadines:

pepper bush

Haiti:

piman caraïbe
piman zwézo

Other vernacular names

Cuba:

aji picante

Dominica:

bird pepper o pimento zoiyo

St Vincent and Grenadines:

pepper bush

Haiti:

piman
piman bouk
piman-piman zwazo

Geographical distribution

Native of Central America. Cultivated in tropical and temperate zones.

Botanical description

Densely ramified herb or shrub. Leaves with slender petiole, solitary or in pairs, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate apex. Two or more flowers at each node, rarely one; calyx truncated or with minute lobes; corolla white-green or white-yellowish. Red fruit, 1.5 to 3 cm in diameter, ellipsoid-lanceolate or lanceolate, with an acute apex. Creamy to yellowish seeds.

A species with a large number of cultivars that have a high diversity of shape in their fruits.

Voucher(s)

Jiménez,17,JBSD

Balland,033,JBSD

ganglionar inflammation

leaf, heated and greased in fat, applied locally^1-2

boil

leaf, heated and greased in fat, applied locally^1-3

The fruit of Capsicum annuum is a food of relatively widespread human consumption.

TRAMIL Work¹⁷
For boils or lymph node inflammation:
Wash the injury with boiled water and soap, apply 2-4 grams of heated leaf on the affected area.

note: the popular practice of smearing grease probably facilitates the extraction of the active ingredient with rubefacient effect, which is capsaicin, but it carries the risk of additional infection.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for boils and lymph node inflammation is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity studies.

Limit the application of the leaf to a maximum of three minutes after local erythema (redness) appears (normal reaction).

All topical application must follow strict hygiene measures in order to prevent contamination or additional infection.

For boils on the face or neck, self-medication is dangerous because of the risk of sepsis (generalised infection).

Due to the risks of documented interactions with drugs from the barbiturate group, people taking these drugs should avoid ingesting any part of the plant.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 3 years.

TRAMIL Work¹²
The extract using oil (0.6 g of vegetable material in 1 ml of hot vegetable oil) from fresh leaves, applied topically (patch with 0.6 ml/6 cm2 of shaved skin/4 h) to 3 New Zealand rabbits, in the Draize model of dermal irritability, when removing the patch at 24, 48 and 72 h, did not cause oedema or erythema.

TRAMIL Work¹³
The extract using oil from fresh leaves in hot oil, applied topically (patch of 0.6 g of vegetal material on 4 x 3 cm of shaved skin/24 h) to Wistar rats (5 females and 5 males) in the acute toxicity class model, over 14 days of observation, did not cause deaths or signs of toxicity, nor was histopathological damage in the organs observed.

The LD₅₀ of the hydroalcoholic extract (50%) of aerial parts via the intraperitoneal route in mice was 0.375 mg/kg¹⁴.

Topical creams containing capsaicin, available in concentrations of 0.025% and 0.075%¹⁵, induce local burning and possibly allergic reactions¹⁶.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The leaf contains saponins: capsicoside⁴; phenylpropanoids: chlorogenic acid⁵; flavonoids: cynaroside, luteolin glycosides⁶; steroidal alkaloids: solanine⁴.

The plant contains capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and homocapsaicin⁷.

TRAMIL Work⁸
The fresh crushed leaf or its juice, in vitro (0.1 g crushed plant material or 100 μl juice/well), showed no antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC15006).

Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in vitro showed antibacterial effect against Streptococcus pyogenes on filter paper disc⁹.

Solanine is attributed with analgesic activity¹⁰, capsaicin with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, cyclooxygenase inhibiting, local anaesthetic, rubefacient and vasodilatory activity¹⁰.

Capsaicin is attributed with the local decrease in levels of substance P, inhibition of cyclooxygenase and anti-inflammatory, local anaesthetic and vasodilatory activity, among others¹¹.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984
Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

2 WENIGER B, 1987-88
Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

3 BALLAND V, GLASGOW A, SPRINGER F, GAYMES G, 2004
TRAMIL survey. enda-caribbean, IICA, UAG & U.PARIS XI, Saint Vincent.

4 GUTSU EV, KINTYA PK, LAZURIIEVSKII GV, Balashova nn, 1984
Steroid alkaloids and glycosides of Capsicum annuum L. Rast Resur 20(1):127-130.

5 POLITIS J, 1948
Distribution of chlorogenic acid in solanaceae and in the organs of these plants. Compt Rend 226:692-693.

6 TOMAS F, FERRERES F, 1980
Flavonoids from the leaves of Capsicum annuum (Solanaceae). I. Major components. Afinidad 37:517-518.

7 NOWACZYK L, 2011
Technlogical characteristics of fruit as an average of fruit as an average of soft-flesh Capsicum spp genotypes. Herba Polonica 57(2):38-44.

8 MARTINEZ MJ, BETANCOURT J, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, FUENTES V, MORON F, 2005
Antimicrobial effect of fresh leaves and their juice of Capsicum annuum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.

9 CICHEWICZ RH, THORPE PA, 1996
The antimicrobial properties of chili peppers (Capsicum species) and their uses in Mayan medicine. J Ethnopharmacol 52(2):61-70.

10 DUKE JA, 1992
Handbook of biologically active phytochemicals and their activities. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.

11 DUKE JA, 2000
Chemicals and their biological activities in: Capsicum annuum L. Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. USDAARS-NGRL, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, USA, Aug.10,2000. URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/far- macy2.pl

12 MARTINEZ MJ, BETANCOURT J, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, FUENTES V, MORON F, 2005
Irritabilidad dérmica primaria de hoja fresca en aceite de Capsicum annuum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.

13 MARTINEZ MJ, BETANCOURT J, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, FUENTES V, MORON F, 2005
Clases tóxicas agudas tópica de hoja fresca machacada de Capsicum annuum. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.

14 DHAWAN BN, PATNAIK GK, RASTOGI RP, SINGH KK, TANDON JS, 1977
Screening of Indian plants for biological activity VI. Indian J Exp Biol 15(3):208-219.

15 GUZZO CA, LAZARUS GS, WERTH VP, 1996
Dermatological pharmacology. In: HARDMAN JG, GILMAN AG, LIMBIRD LE Eds. Goodman and Gilman’s the pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 9th ed. New York, USA: The McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, International Edition.

16 PEISKER V, ARANGUREN ML, MONTERO DE ESPINOSA E, MORAES J, LEAL MS, SANZ J, 1995
Vademécum Internacional. Madrid, España: Medicom S.A.

17 CARBALLO A, 1995
Cálculo de concentración y dosis de las drogas vegetales TRAMIL: Mensuraciones farmacognósticas y aproximaciones técnicoclínicas. Laboratorio provincial de producción de medicamentos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Capsicum annuum

Vernacular names

Dominican Republic:

St Vincent and Grenadines:

Haiti:

Cuba:

Dominica:

St Vincent and Grenadines:

Haiti:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer