Piper longum originates from Southeast Asia (Deccan peninsula). Pepper is a dense shrub with branches and with many leaves (6 cm wide and 9 cm long) which are oval in shape, shiny dark green in color superficially and matt pale- green in color on inferiorlly. Flowers are a spin fleshy, solitary and pedunculate, are 2.5-3.5 cm long, 5 mm wide, oval, very dark green in color. The smell is fragrant. The taste of Pepper is pungent with somewhat sweety sensation, giving it a unique position in the spices. Fruit is red to brown in color and is used mostly crushed and added to foods which are cooked by extended boiling.
Chemical Composition – Piper longum fruit contains a large number of alkaloids and related compounds, the most abundant of which is piperine with piperine methyl iperonaline, piperetine, asarinine, pelitorine, piperundecalidine, piperlongumine, piperlonguminine, refractomide A, pregumidiene, brachistamide, brachistamide-A, brachistine, pipercide, piperderidine, longamide and tetrahydropiperine.
Lignans- Sesamine, pulvuatilol, fargesine.
Essential oils- caryophylline, pentadecane and bisaboline.
Properties – Antifungal, antiamoebic, antimicrobial, antitussive, anti asthmatic, cardioprotective, hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, anti-depressant.
Recommendation – Obesity, diabetes, respiratory, digestive system disorders, cardiovascular disorders, urinary system disorder, bronchitis, chronic cough.
This plant is incorporated in natural remedies COUGHEND Syrup, DAITAB, GASCURE Syrup, GASCURE Tablets, LIVECOM Tablets, SLEMOL, WORM END Syrup.