Molecule Shorts
Description: Capsaicin is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain mammals and fungi. (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide)
Description: Theobromine is the primary alkaloid found in cocoa and chocolate. There are usually higher concentrations in dark than in milk chocolate. It has an effect similar to, but lesser than, that of caffeine in the human nervous system. Theobromine was first discovered in 1841in cacao beans by Russian chemist Alexander Voskresensky. Synthesis of theobromine from xanthine was first reported in 1882 by Hermann Emil Fischer.
