Formula C16H25NO2 | Molar mass 263.19 g/mol | |
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Hydroxy-alpha sanshool is a molecule found in plants from the genus Zanthoxylum. It is believed to be responsible for the numbing and tingling sensation caused by eating food cooked with Sichuan peppercorns.
The term sanshool in the compound's name is derived from the Japanese term for the Sichuan pepper, sanshō (山椒) (literally, Mountain Pepper), to which was appended the suffix -ol, indicating an alcohol.
Mechanism
Though the chemical structure is similar to that of capsaicin, the mechanism of action by which hydroxy-alpha sanshool induces sensations have been a matter of debate. Although the compound is an agonist at the pain-integrating cation channels TRPV1 and TRPA1 as is capsaicin, newer evidence suggests that the Tandem pore domain potassium channels KCNK3, KCNK9, and KCNK18 are primarily responsible for the molecule's effects.
Hydroxy-alpha sanshool excites D-hair afferent nerve fibers, a distinct subset of the sensitive light touch receptors in the skin, and targets novel populations of Aβ and C-fiber nerve fibers.