1. College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China;
2. School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Progress, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Abstract Hotness, is one of the most indispensable flavors in our daily life. It is one kind sensation of burning pain that is elicited when our sensory neurons in the mouth are activated by pungent ingredients. This article summarized the common pungent ingredients that cause the hotness, and detailed their structures, origins, and medicinal activities. It is hoped that the present paper can help non-specialists to understand pungent chemistry, and provide more information for the exploration and application of pungent ingredients.
