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Botany
Deciduous vine, growing to a height of 2-4 meters. Leaves are short-petioled,
pale when dry, oblong, oblong-ovate, or elliptic lanceolate, 6-7 cm
long, 3-8 cm wide, papery; the base pointed or slightly heart-shaped
and the tips pointed. Female spikes are oblong when mature, red, fleshy
and cylindric, 3-6 cm long, 3-11 mm diameter. The fruit is united, embedded
in the rachis. The seeds are subglobose to obovoid-globose, aboout 2
mm long.
Distribution
Common in thickets
at low altitudes.
Constituents
and properties
• Study yielded
retrofractamide-D.
• Studiy has yielded piperine, piperlonguminine, sylvatine, guineensine, piperlonguimine, filfiline, sitosterol, methyl piperate and a series of piperine-analog retrofractamides.
Part utilized
Roots, leaves.
Uses
Culinary
In some countries, used
for green peppercorn spice.
Fiery and more pungent than black pepper.
In India, the mainly used for pickles.
Folkloric
Roots, decocted or chewed
is taken internally as cure for colic, dyspepsia and gastralgia.
For postpartum fevers and chills, a hand leaves are salted and oiled,
then heated over embers and stroked over the entire body, from head
to foot.
In Ayurveda, traditionally used to promote
respiratory and digestive health; an ingredient in compound medicinal
teas.
In China, used for vomiting, hiccups, stomachaches, diarrhea due to coldness in the stomach. For toothaches, applied exgternally.
Studies
• Larvicidal: Mosquito
larvicidal activity of aqueous extracts of long pepper (Piper retrofractum
Vahl) from Thailand: Among nine medicinal plant extracts, PR showed
the highest level of activity against mosquito larvae. Extracts of unripe
and ripe fruits showed different levels of activity. The ripe fruit
extract was more active against Ae. aegypti than Cx. quinquefasciatus.
• Antioxidant: Chemical
Constituents of Peppers (Piper spp.) and application to Food Preservation:
Naturally Occuring Antioxidative Compounds: All phenolic compounds isolated,
seven from P retrofractum, possess significant antioxidant activities.
• Cardioprotective
/ Antioxidant: Petroleum ether extract of root and piperine
from roots of Piper longum pretreatment decreased lipid peroxide level
and maintained glutathione to near normal levels in treated rats. Results
showed the extract of the plant root and piperine exerted anti-oxidant
activity and cardioprotective benefit in the myocardial ischemic condition.
• Antimycobacterial
Activity : In a study of various extracts from medicinal
plants used as self-medication by AIDS patients in Thailand were tested
for their antimycobacterial activity. The chloroform extract of P chaba
fruits showed strong inhibitory effects; piperine was its active compound.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Fruit powder in the cybermarket.
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