Hot and spicy compounds: from ancient recipes to molecular medicine

Plants containing hot and spicy compounds are avoided by mammals, but, for unknown reasons, actively sought by humans. After a brief overview of the occurrence of drug-like compounds in food plants, the development of new ligands for the vanilloid receptor VR1 will be described. This capsaicin-sensitive ion channel is the only taste receptor cloned and characterized so far, and its study holds great potential for the treatment of neuropathic pain and other clinical conditions characterized by malfunctioning of vanilloid-sensitive nerves. Finally, the pursuit for hotness will be traced back through the centuries, reviewing the constituents of some ancient spices and the biomedical potential of their constituents.