Capsicumspecies are not only cultivated as vegetable and condiment crops but are also incorporated into
a number of medicinal preparations in the ancient literature around the world. ‘Naga chilli’ or ‘Bhoot
Jolokia’ (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is a chilli variety indigenous to the northeast region of India and has
been recognized as the hottest chilli in the world. It has also been used conventionally in treating various
human ailments since time immemorial by the indigenous people of the northeast India. Despite being an
important crop of the northeast India, the information on the biology and cultivation of Naga chilli is very
scanty and scattered. The present article reviews the scientific literature on above aspects with particular
emphasis on identifying the key regional issues which need to be addressed urgently by the policy makers
in order to harness its potential as an important source of capsaicinoids. Further, an attempt has been
made to collate the potential of capsaicinoids in various ethnopharmacological applications such as pain
therapy, body temperature regulation, anti-obesity treatments, anticancer therapy and as antioxidant
and antimicrobial agent. We anticipate that this literature analysis of traditional medicinal uses and
experimental trials of Capsicum using modern scientific approaches shall provide a basis for suggesting
important areas where sincere research efforts are warranted to bridge the gap between traditional
medicinal knowledge and modern biomedical knowledge