Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Jan 8;25(2):791.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25020791.

Spice Up Your Kidney: A Review on the Effects of Capsaicin in Renal Physiology and Disease

Michela Musolino  1   2 , Mario D'Agostino  1 , Mariateresa Zicarelli  2 , Michele Andreucci  1   2 , Giuseppe Coppolino  1   2 , Davide Bolignano  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Spice Up Your Kidney: A Review on the Effects of Capsaicin in Renal Physiology and Disease

Michela Musolino et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Capsaicin, the organic compound which attributes the spicy flavor and taste of red peppers and chili peppers, has been extensively studied for centuries as a potential natural remedy for the treatment of several illnesses. Indeed, this compound exerts well-known systemic pleiotropic effects and may thus bring important benefits against various pathological conditions like neuropathic pain, rhinitis, itching, or chronic inflammation. Yet, little is known about the possible biological activity of capsaicin at the kidney level, as this aspect has only been addressed by sparse experimental investigations. In this paper, we aimed to review the available evidence focusing specifically on the effects of capsaicin on renal physiology, as well as its potential benefits for the treatment of various kidney disorders. Capsaicin may indeed modulate various aspects of renal function and renal nervous activity. On the other hand, the observed experimental benefits in preventing acute kidney injury, slowing down the progression of diabetic and chronic kidney disease, ameliorating hypertension, and even delaying renal cancer growth may set the stage for future human trials of capsaicin administration as an adjuvant or preventive therapy for different, difficult-to-treat renal diseases.

Keywords: capsaicin; hypertension; kidney; kidney disease; renal cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of capsaicin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of the main physiological effects of capsaicin on the kidney.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Putative mechanisms underlying the benefits of capsaicin administration on kidney diseases and hypertension.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Antonio A.S., Wiedemann L.S.M., Veiga Junior V.F. The genus Capsicum: A phytochemical review of bioactive secondary metabolites. RSC Adv. 2018;8:25767–25784. doi: 10.1039/C8RA02067A. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Basith S., Cui M., Hong S., Choi S. Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of Capsaicin and Its Analogues in Pain and Other Diseases. Molecules. 2016;21:966. doi: 10.3390/molecules21080966. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fattori V., Hohmann M.S., Rossaneis A.C., Pinho-Ribeiro F.A., Verri W.A. Capsaicin: Current Understanding of Its Mechanisms and Therapy of Pain and Other Pre-Clinical and Clinical Uses. Molecules. 2016;21:844. doi: 10.3390/molecules21070844. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Caterina M.J., Schumacher M.A., Tominaga M., Rosen T.A., Levine J.D., Julius D. The capsaicin receptor: A heat-activated ion channel in the pain pathway. Nature. 1997;389:816–824. doi: 10.1038/39807. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yang F., Xiao X., Cheng W., Yang W., Yu P., Song Z., Yarov-Yarovoy V., Zheng J. Structural mechanism underlying capsaicin binding and activation of the TRPV1 ion channel. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2015;11:518–524. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1835. - DOI - PMC - PubMed