The “hot” in hot peppers is due to the capsaicin (C18H27NO3), a colorless, odorless oil-like compound found in the fruit of a plant that is a close relative of the tomato. Capsaicin is primarily seen in the membrane that holds the seeds. These plants are seen in the Americas and were brought to Europe by explorer Christopher Columbus who has mistakenly thought they were a relative of the black pepper (the plant one get pepper from). To distinguish them from the black pepper plant, hot peppers are generally called chili peppers, or just plain chilis in many parts of the world. Capsaicin is also seen, in smaller amounts, in other spices, such as oregano, cinnamon, and cilantro (Kawabata et al., 2006).

1. Scoville Heat Unit
BY Dr. S.SREEREMYA
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY

2. O The “hot” in hot peppers is due to the capsaicin
(C18H27NO3), a colorless, odorless oil-like compound
found in the fruit of a plant that is a close relative of the
tomato. Capsaicin is primarily seen in the membrane that
holds the seeds. These plants are seen in the Americas and
were brought to Europe by explorer Christopher Columbus
who has mistakenly thought they were a relative of the
black pepper (the plant one get pepper from). To distinguish
them from the black pepper plant, hot peppers are
generally called chili peppers, or just plain chilis in many
parts of the world. Capsaicin is also seen, in smaller
amounts, in other spices, such as oregano, cinnamon, and
cilantro (Kawabata et al., 2006).

3. O SCOVILLE HEAT SCALE The hotness of
a pepper is mainly measured by the
Scoville heat scale (Fig: 1), which is a
series of “heat units” that range from 0 to
16.5 million, depending on the capsaicin
content of a pepper. Pure capsaicin tops
the scale at 16.5 million heat units, and
bell peppers rank at 0, since they contain
no capsaicin (Hachiya et al., 2007)

4. O The Moruga Scorpion comes in at around 2.5
million heat units, the same capsaicin
concentration as pepper spray! The jalapeno
pepper ranges from 6,000 to 50,000 heat units,
while the habanero ranks from 100,000 to 360,000
heat units. Today, more sophisticated methods are
availed to determine how much capsaicin is in
peppers, availing instruments which measure
concentrations in parts per million (ppm). One ppm
of capsaicin means that 1 milligram of capsaicin is
present in 1 kilogram of pepper.

5. O It is like having one red marble (one capsaicin
molecule) in the bucket along with 999,999 white
marbles
O (Other molecules present in pepper). Capsaicin is
so potent and efficient that even a concentration of
10 ppm would produce a long-lasting burning
sensation on the tongue. A large dose of capsaicin,
in its concentrated form, could be much toxic if
ingested, yet the amount found in hot peppers is
so small there is little risk of harm from the toxic
effects of capsaicin itself. When dealing with it in
its pure form, one must wear gloves and a
respirator (Ohnuki et al., 2001).

6. O In the test, human subjects taste a series of prepared chile samples to
determine the heat level. The samples are then diluted in the laboratory until
heat can no longer be detected and assessed by the tasters (Collins et al.,
1995). A single unit of dilution is called a Scoville Heat Unit. This procedure
can be specifically appropriate in many circumstances because it is more
accurate than the taste test (“bite the chile”) technique. The Scoville
Organoleptic Test is also less expensive than much more advanced laboratory
techniques, but it has limitations. Measuring heat with this technique is still
subjective and depends on the specific taster’s palate and sensitivity to the
chemicals. SCOVILLE HEAT UNIT
O The Scoville Heat Unit is the closest thing to a standard form of measuring the
heat in a pepper. It is a measurement that involves adding sugar to a solution
until one can no longer taste the heat of the pepper(Woodbury.1980) The
more sugar, the higher the spice, the greater the measurement in Scoville
units. Created in 1912, the Scoville method is still used despite more scientific
methods of measurement (Scoville et al.,1912). The following chart is an
approximation of heat, used to compare the relative spiciness of peppers.

7. O In the test, human subjects taste a series of
prepared chile samples to determine the heat
level. The samples are then diluted in the
laboratory until heat can no longer be detected and
assessed by the tasters (Collins et al., 1995). A
single unit of dilution is called a Scoville Heat Unit.
This procedure can be specifically appropriate in
many circumstances because it is more accurate
than the taste test (“bite the chile”) technique. The
Scoville Organoleptic Test is also less expensive
than much more advanced laboratory techniques,
but it has limitations. Measuring heat with this
technique is still subjective and depends on the
specific taster’s palate and sensitivity to the
chemicals.

8. O SCOVILLE HEAT UNIT
O The Scoville Heat Unit is the closest thing to a
standard form of measuring the heat in a pepper. It
is a measurement that involves adding sugar to a
solution until one can no longer taste the heat of
the pepper(Woodbury.1980) The more sugar, the
higher the spice, the greater the measurement in
Scoville units. Created in 1912, the Scoville
method is still used despite more scientific
methods of measurement (Scoville et al.,1912).
The following chart is an approximation of heat,
used to compare the relative spiciness of peppers.

9. O
O Journal of Research in Pharmacognosy
and Natural Medicinal Products, Scoville
Heat Unit, Dr.S.Sreeremya ,2020.Vol
2(1):1-8