Editing Capsaicin (section)

=== Antifungal properties ===
Capsaicin acts as an antifungal agent in four primary ways. First, capsaicin inhibits the metabolic rate of the cells that make up the fungal biofilm.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Behbehani JM, Irshad M, Shreaz S, Karched M | title = Anticandidal Activity of Capsaicin and Its Effect on Ergosterol Biosynthesis and Membrane Integrity of ''Candida albicans'' | journal = International Journal of Molecular Sciences | volume = 24 | issue = 2 | pages = 1046 | date = January 2023 | pmid = 36674560 | doi = 10.3390/ijms24021046 | pmc = 9860720 | doi-access = free }}</ref> This inhibits the area and growth rate of the fungus, since the biofilm creates an area where a fungus can grow and adhere to the chili in which capsaicin is present.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Costa-Orlandi CB, Sardi JC, Pitangui NS, de Oliveira HC, Scorzoni L, Galeane MC, Medina-Alarcón KP, Melo WC, Marcelino MY, Braz JD, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJ | title = Fungal Biofilms and Polymicrobial Diseases | journal = Journal of Fungi | volume = 3 | issue = 2 | pages = 22 | date = May 2017 | pmid = 29371540 | doi = 10.3390/jof3020022 | pmc = 5715925 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Capsaicin also inhibits fungal [[hypha]]e formation, which impacts the amount of nutrients that the rest of the fungal body can receive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How fungi are constructed |url=http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/mycologywebpages/NaturalHistoryOfFungi/Thallus.html#:~:text=Hyphae%20perform%20a%20variety%20of,the%20thallus%20(fungus%20body). |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=website.nbm-mnb.ca}}</ref> Thirdly, capsaicin disrupts the structure<ref name="Yang-2017">{{cite journal | vauthors = Yang F, Zheng J | title = Understand spiciness: mechanism of TRPV1 channel activation by capsaicin | journal = Protein & Cell | volume = 8 | issue = 3 | pages = 169–177 | date = March 2017 | pmid = 28044278 | pmc = 5326624 | doi = 10.1007/s13238-016-0353-7 }}</ref> of fungal cells and the fungal cell membranes. This has consequential negative impacts on the integrity of fungal cells and their ability to survive and proliferate. Additionally, the [[ergosterol]] synthesis of growing fungi decreases in relation to the amount of capsaicin present in the growth area. This impacts the fungal cell membrane, and how it is able to reproduce and adapt to stressors in its environment.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jordá T, Puig S | title = Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' | journal = Genes | volume = 11 | issue = 7 | pages = 795 | date = July 2020 | pmid = 32679672 | pmc = 7397035 | doi = 10.3390/genes11070795 | doi-access = free }}</ref>