Capsaicin was converted into the corresponding glucoside when administered to cell suspension cultures of Coffea arabica cultured in a modified Murashige and Skoog's medium with 5 mum 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 mum kinetin. The glucoside was identified as capsaicin-beta-D-glucopyranoside by FAB-MS, H-1-NMR, and hydrolysis with alpha- and beta-glucosidases. The pungency of the glucoside was approximately 1/100 of that of capsaicin.