UHPLC-qTOF-MS-Based Nontargeted Metabolomics to Characterize the Effects of Capsaicin on Plasma and Skin Metabolic Profiles of C57BL/6 Mice-An In vivo Experimental Study.

Background: Capsaicin is the main compound found in chili pepper and has complex pharmacologic effects. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of the effect of capsaicin on physiological processes by analyzing changes in metabolites and metabolic pathways.

Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups(n = 10/group) and fed with capsaicin-soybean oil solution(group T) or soybean oil(group C) for 6 weeks. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS) based metabolomics was undertaken to assess plasma and skin metabolic profile changes and identify differential metabolites through multivariate analysis.

Results: According to the OPLS-DA score plots, the plasma and skin metabolic profiles in the group T and group C were significantly separated. In plasma, 38 significant differential metabolites were identified. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the most significant plasma metabolic pathways included pyruvate metabolism and ABC transporters. In skin, seven significant differential metabolites were found. Four metabolic pathways with p values < 0.05 were detected, including sphingolipid metabolism, sphingolipid signaling pathway, apoptosis, and necroptosis.

Conclusion: These findings will provide metabolomic insights to assess the physiological functions of capsaicin and contribute to a better understanding of the potential effects of a capsaicin-rich diet on health.