While previous research has concluded that hot chillies make people feel fuller and therefore eat less, scientists at the University of Adelaide have started to unravel the mechanisms of the spicy vegetable's effect.

Their studies on mice have found that an ingredient in chilli called capsaicin triggers receptors in the stomach that tell the brain the stomach has stretched and does not need more food.

However, the researchers found that when mice were fed a high fat diet and became obese, the hot chilli effect was dampened. This suggested the chilli receptors known as "TRPV1 receptors" were disrupted by fattening food such as cream added to a spicy curry.

One of the authors of the research Amanda Page said the finding suggested consumption of capsaicin may be able to prevent overeating through an action on nerves in the stomach, but she said more research was required to see if it could be turned into a weight loss drug that is more palatable than eating hot chilli as part of a low fat diet.

"There's a good chance it will translate [for humans]," she said.

Associate Professor Page said she was now hoping to study stomach tissue removed from people during weight loss surgery or surgery to remove cancer. The aim will be to examine the nerves in the patient's stomachs to see if they behave in the same way as the nerves in mice.

"We're hoping to develop a drug similar to the components of hot chilli that will be able to target that system," she said.

However, Associate Professor Page said even if the human study went well, it could take up to 10 years to develop an effective drug.

The study on mice is being published today in the journal PLOS ONE.