Project Description
Capsicum Annuum was chosen because of it’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects aiding in alleviating the complaints of chronic pain associated with the ganglionic cyst. (see pain) And for the prostate cancer chemopreventive compounds.
Wikipedia: is a domesticated species of the plant genus Capsicum native to southern North America and northern South America. The fruit is a berry which may be green, yellow or red when ripe. While the species can tolerate most climates, C. annuum is especially productive in warm and dry climates. It is employed in medicine, in combination with Cinchona in intermittent and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis etc. Its most valuable application appears however to be in cynanche maligna (acute diphtheria) and scarlatina maligna (malignent Scarlet fever, used either as a gargle or administered internally.)
Carotenoids
People consuming diets rich incarotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.Humans and animals are mostly incapable of synthesizing carotenoids, and must obtain them through their diet.Carotenoids have many physiological functions. Given their structure, carotenoids are efficient free-radical scavengers, and they enhance the vertebrate immune system. There are several dozen carotenoids in foods people consume, and most carotenoids have antioxidant activity. Epidemiological studies have shown that people with high β-carotene intake and high plasma levels of β-carotene have a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer. (Details)
Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 524019,
Carotenoids extracted from dried peppers were evaluated for their antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. The results suggest that the carotenoids in dried guajillo peppers have significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory benefits and could be useful for pain and inflammation relief.Recently, fruits and vegetables have been recognized as natural sources of various bioactive compounds. The main phytochemical compounds present in fruits and vegetables are flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins C and E, phenolic compounds, dietary fiber, and carotenoids. A lower risk of developing various chronic diseases has been attributed to these phytochemicals, in particular to their antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities. Because natural antioxidants often exist together in different combinations in nature, researchers have been investigating the additive and synergistic effects of different antioxidants One such vegetable where a variety of antioxidants can be found is the pepper. They also have a significant role in traditional medicine. These therapeutic applications are related to the capsaicinoid, phenolic compound, and carotenoid content of peppers
Biochemistry Department, Ahmadu Bello University:
Prostate cancer chemopreventive compounds:
(Capsicum annuum) containing capsaicin, which are widely reported to posses prostate cancer chemopreventive compounds are also grown in Nigeria and other African countries. The potent antioxidant and radical scavenging capacity observed, is a good reflection of the Biological activities such as these have been credited with chemoprevention of diseases like cancer, which result, at least in part, from oxidative damage. The difference in the polyphenol composition and antioxidant activities of different parts of M.oleifera, suggests that different parts of the same plant may have significantly different anticancer activity.Capsicum annuum) have undergone different levels of study as possible prostate cancer chemopreventive agents, with promising results, including potent antimutagenesis, antitumour and antimetastasis properties effects that are also relevant to prostate cancer control and chemoprevention.