Capsaicin: tailored chemical defence against unwanted "frugivores".
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.
Schulze
Birgit
B
Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Spiteller
Dieter
D
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*
D018689:Sensory System Agents; D002211:Capsaicin