Capsaicin inhibits collagen fibril formation and increases the stability of collagen fibers

Eur Biophys J. 2015 Feb;44(1-2):69-76. doi: 10.1007/s00249-014-1002-9. Epub 2014 Dec 21.

Abstract

Capsaicin is a versatile plant product which has been ascribed several health benefits and anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. We have investigated the effect of capsaicin on the molecular stability, self-assembly, and fibril stability of type-I collagen. It was found that capsaicin suppresses collagen fibril formation, increases the stability of collagen fibers in tendons, and has no effect on the molecular stability of collagen. Turbidity assay data show that capsaicin does not promote disassembly of collagen fibrils. However, capsaicin moderately protects collagen fibrils from enzymatic degradation. Computational studies revealed the functions of the aromatic group and amide region of capsaicin in the collagen-capsaicin interaction. The results may have significant implications for capsaicin-based therapeutics that target excess collagen accumulation-linked pathology, for example thrombosis, fibrosis, and sclerosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Capsaicin / chemistry
  • Capsaicin / pharmacology*
  • Fibrillar Collagens / chemistry*
  • Fibrillar Collagens / metabolism
  • Male
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Stability
  • Proteolysis
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Fibrillar Collagens
  • Capsaicin