Nordihydrocapsaicin (NDHC)

Nordihydrocapsaicin is a capsaicinoid and analog and congener of capsaicin in chili peppers (Capsicum). Like capsaicin, it is an irritant. Nordihydrocapsaicin accounts for about 7% of the total capsaicinoids mixture and has about half the pungency of capsaicin. Pure nordihydrocapsaicin is a lipophilic colorless odorless crystalline to waxy compound. On the Scoville scale it has 9,100,000 SHU (Scoville heat units), significantly higher than pepper spray.

Glycosylation of vanilloids such as vanillin and 8-nordihydrocapsaicin by cultured plant cells of Eucalyptus perriniana was studied. Vanillin was converted into vanillin 4-O-b-D-glucopyranoside, vanillyl alcohol, and 4-O-b-D-glucopyranosylvanillyl alcohol by E. perriniana cells. Incubation of cultured E. perriniana cells with 8-nor- dihydrocapsaicin gave 8-nordihydrocapsaicin 4-O-b-D-glucopyranoside and 8-nordihydro- capsaicin 4-O-b-D-gentiobioside.