Effect of 3 months-feeding of a powder diet fortified with chilli (guntur, bird’s eye, and naga king) on superoxide dismutase levels in sd rat

Purpose: Chilli has been considered a culprit and saviour in various non-communicable disorders in the scientific world. We hypothesise that varying proportions of active principles in different chilli affect its therapeutic potential significantly, and it could be a game-changer in the area of drug discovery. Design/methodology/approach: In this regard, nutritional analysis was performed for three chillies, followed by the animal study on SD rats fed a standard rodent powder diet (20% protein) fortified with 0.005% of capsaicin (CAP) equivalent chilli powder for three months to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD) in five visceral organs/tissues. Finding: The NKC and BEC groups have shown opposite results to the GC and capsaicin equivalent groups (CEG) regarding animal body weight and SOD levels in various tissues. However, there is no change in feed intake. Research limitations/implications: In parallel, serum SOD should have been tested. Other methods for SOD analysis would fetch confirmatory results. Using a mild or moderate stress rodent model would prove its therapeutic efficacy. CAP alone might affect anti-obesity and SOD levels; however, the DHC content of chilli plays an essential role in providing synergistic or antagonistic effects on anti-obesity or activating the antioxidant system depending on the threshold level. It means it could have biphasic properties similar to capsaicin. Originality/value: The present paper generates evidence that capsaicinoid relative proportion in chilli plays an essential role in its therapeutic or negative impact on health. KEYWORDS: Naga King Chilli, Guntur Chilli, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Capsaicin, Wistar rat Paper type: Original article