Capsicum chinense Jacq.: Ethnobotany, Bioactivity and Future Prospects

India is home to many exotic and endemic species and a vast range of variability is found in a single plant species. Naga King Chilli or Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is one such plant native to Assam and considered as a naturally developed hybrid of C. chinense and C. frutescens. This plant has found a special place in Assamese culture for making pickles, adding hotness to different foodstuff and curing various ailments such as arthritis, asthma, cough and sore throat, headache, gastritis, toothache and muscle pain, while capsaicin has found many pharmaceutical applications, including anti-arthritis, weight loss, thermoregulation, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular activity. Moreover, the hotness and sweet aroma of Bhut Jolokia are currently gaining huge commercial importance in national and international markets. So to fulfil the high commercial demand of capsicum or capsaicinoid in the world market, preference should be given on large-scale cultivation of Bhut Jolokia variety with high capsaicin content.