Cayenne

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include capsaicin; dihydrocapsaicin; carotenoids; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Cayenne has been used for topical pain; digestion; circulation; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (topical pain; digestion; circulation), the evidence assessment is well-supported: Well-supported for some topical capsaicin products in neuropathic/musculoskeletal pain; oral claims insufficient.

  HIGH · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats & dogs

• Caution

  Capsicum annuum ingestion can irritate the stomach and intestines and cause vomiting and diarrhea. Mature fruits contain capsaicinoids, including capsaicin; foliage contains solanine and scopoletin. It is described as not likely to be lethal.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Mature fruits and foliage; ornamental plant · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Plants Poisonous to Animals - Special Pet Topics

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include Burning, irritation, cough; eye and mucosal injury. Contraindications/cautions include Broken skin; capsaicin allergy.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Topical interactions limited; oral use may affect anticoagulants and BP drugs.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Avoid high-concentration topical exposure on breast; medicinal pregnancy data limited.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Capsicum annuum ingestion can irritate the stomach and intestines and cause vomiting and diarrhea. Mature fruits contain capsaicinoids, including capsaicin; foliage contains solanine and scopoletin. It is described as not likely to be lethal.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Plants Poisonous to Animals - Special Pet Topics

  The page does not provide cat- versus dog-specific outcomes.

Taxonomic identity note

• Cayenne is treated here as Capsicum annuum L. in the family Solanaceae; recorded older names include Capsicum frutescens L. may source some products.