title: Capsaicin: tailored chemical defence against unwanted "frugivores".
abstract: Why are chilli peppers hot? The vanillyl amide, capsaicin, has long been known as the pungent principle of peppers, but only in their recent work have Tewksbury et al. addressed its ecological roles: to distract unsuitable seed dispensers and to protect the seeds against fungal infection by Fusarium.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spiteller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000737:chemistry*; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012639:Seeds; D018689:Sensory System Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018689:Sensory System Agents; D002211:Capsaicin