A team of researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Shadan College of Pharmacy, and Geethanjali College of Pharmacy in India found that capsaicin in chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) has potent antihyperglycemic effects. Moreover, this effect was observed to be synergistic with the commonly used antidiabetic drug gliclazide.

• In this study, which was published in the journal Pharmacognosy Research, the researchers wanted to evaluate the antihyperglycemic properties of capsaicin and its possible interactions with gliclazide.
• To do this, the researchers conducted single- and multiple-dose interaction studies of capsaicin and gliclazide in albino rats (normal and diabetic) and albino rabbits (diabetic). They then evaluated parameters like blood sugar, insulin, and gliclazide level from blood samples, as well as beta-cell function.
• The results showed that capsaicin has significant antidiabetic effects in diabetic rats and rabbits, causing blood sugar levels to decrease while insulin and beta-cell function increased. Moreover, it did not exhibit hypoglycemic activity in normal rats, unlike gliclazide.
• Researchers also observed that the animals that were treated with both capsaicin and gliclazide experienced a greater reduction in blood sugar levels and a more significant increase in insulin levels and beta-cell function. This increase in antihyperglycemic activity was attributed to the inhibition of enzymes that metabolize gliclazide, namely cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), by capsaicin.

Overall, the results of the study showed that capsaicin has antihyperglycemic effects that are synergistic with the activity of gliclazide.

The full text of the study is available at this link.

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Journal Reference:

Lagisetty U, Mohammed H, Ramaiah S. EFFECT OF CAPSAICIN ON PHARMACODYNAMIC AND PHARMACOKINETICS OF GLICLAZIDE IN ANIMAL MODELS WITH DIABETES. Pharmacognosy Research. 26 October 2018. 10(4). DOI: 10.4103/pr.pr_81_18