It is believed to be responsible for the numbing and tingling sensation caused by eating food cooked with Sichuan peppercorns and Uzazi.

The chemical structure of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool resembles capsaicin as both are fatty acid amides, but the mechanism of action by which it induces nerve sensations has been a matter of debate.

Like capsaicin, hydroxy-alpha-sanshool is an agonist at the pain integration channels TRPV1 and TRPA1; however, evidence suggests that the inhibition of tandem pore domain potassium channels KCNK3, KCNK9, and KCNK18 are primarily responsible for sanshool's effects.

[1] Hydroxy-alpha-sanshool excites D-hair afferent nerve fibers, a distinct subset of the sensitive light touch receptors in the skin, and targets novel populations of Aβ and C-fiber nerve fibers.

[2] To isolate the molecule from the pepper in form of an extract, steam distillation can be used: Dried peels of the fruit are immersed in a mixture of lower alcohols (for example ethanol) and water with a mass percentage between 35% and 65% of the alcohol.